NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Thursday praised US President Donald Trump's decision to launch strikes on Iran, but rejected any suggestion that the NATO alliance would participate in the conflict.
"We support the president in removing this capability," Rutte said, referring to the US military objective of eliminating the Iranian regime's ballistic missile program.
"We must ensure that in the future Iran, this republic, is not again able to pose a deadly threat to its neighbors, to Israel, to the Middle East, to Europe," he added in a video interview.
Speaking a day after Turkey said NATO air defense systems shot down an Iranian missile heading towards its airspace, Rutte condemned the incident as "serious," in which Iran has denied any involvement. He described the successful interception as evidence of a "360-degree approach" to protecting NATO territory.
However, Rutte has rejected any idea that NATO was actively involved in the conflict, but stressed that the alliance is essential to the US's effectiveness in its campaign.
