Name: Europe 'absolutely supportive' of US action in Iran, says Nato secretary general | BBC News
Uploaded: 2026-03-02T21:31:31.000Z
Duration: 9 min 4 s
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I think we have Mark Rutter, the Secretary General of NATO, standing by.

He was listening to some of that press conference.

Secretary General, it's good to have you with us on the program.

Let us pick up with the fast moving events of the last 48, 72 hours.

There is a disconnect between European capitals in the United States on military engagement in Iran.

How does that complicate NATO's position?

Well, I would, to the contrary, say that Europeans are really stepping up.

When you look at the comments by Chancellor Mertz yesterday, who is now flying out to Washington for meetings tomorrow in the White House, absolutely supportive of what the Americans are doing, taking out the nuclear and the ballistic capability in Iran, which is a threat to us in Europe, threat to Israel, to the region.

Keir Starmer yesterday committing to, to this basing request by the Americans providing therefore a key defensive, responsive response to the threat when it comes to what the UK can do.

So I think it's really clear that Europe is stepping up and that's very important.

Did his delay in making UK bases available complicate the operation?

What I understand is that there were some legal things which had to be worked through.

But I mean, this is early stages of this campaign.

It will take days, potentially weeks, before it is finished, finalized.

And in the meantime, the UK has now requested positively to this base request, providing this basically a defensive response to the threat.

Now, were you told ahead of time that this was about to happen?

I have many conversations, always with your members.

I never go into details with whom, crucially, for NATO Secretary General to know if there's going to be military action in Iran.

And that's exactly why I never discuss those things in public because my conversations with the Americans are discreet.

But I can assure you that we make sure that we coordinate very closely.

Should it have been done with the approval of the U.S. congress?

Well, this is this whole discussion about legality and I leave that to people who are much smarter than I am.

But I can tell you I spoke yesterday with many European leaders.

They are all extremely glad with this action, with this campaign, because we know that Iran is a threat today.

It is not only oppressive at home, it is also aggressive when it comes to Europe, to Israel, to the whole region.

It is a terrorist regime and clearly, therefore a threat to London, to Hamburg, to my own hometown, the Hague.

When it comes to terrorism it is a threat to Ukraine because they are one of the key enablers of Russia's war effort.

So what I am seeing all over Europe is widespread support for what the US Is doing.

Well, yes, it is being welcomed that the ayatollah has been removed and they are not pointing the finger at Donald Trump in terms of legality.

So you say the European position is changing.

Do you imagine then that NATO forces will soon be involved, offensive?

What I'm saying is that European position has always been, since 1980, for 45 years now, 46 years, that Iran is a threat, that this regime is a threat, not to Iranian people, but

So are you saying NATO forces will, NATO as an alliance, will be involved in Iran at some point?

No, this, this is clearly a campaign led by the Americans and the Israelis.

But what we are seeing now is that when it comes to NATO allies, but

also friends in the region, which are now under indiscriminate attacks by Iran, they are hitting out at Dubai, at Bahrain, at Oman and other Gulf nations, hitting innocent civilians.

So what you're now seeing is that allies, wherever they can enable the US Campaign, together with Israel, they are doing that.

What is the current mood of the Arab Gulf countries?

And do you imagine, given the pummeling they've taken in the last 72 hours, that they are going to be joining strike operations?

Because we've just been told by Dan Kane that they're involved in an offensive capacity.

Does that mean that their air forces might soon be in operation over Iran?

Let's see how this develops over the next hours and days.

But what I know from the Gulf nations is, of course, they totally condemn the fact that they have come under this indiscriminate attacks by Iran, which is basically lashing out now at its neighbors in the region, totally without any military reason, because they are hitting out at hotels and innocent civilians all over the region.

And this tells you something about the character of this regime and what they are willing and what they are up to.

And therefore this extremely important that also myself and I saw Ursula von der Lay coming out, European Commission president on this, also coordinating closely with partners in the region that really stay shoulder to shoulder here.

There's been another drone fired at the base today.

What are you doing as Secretary General to step up the defense of those bases and particularly from the threat of shahed drones?

I can assure you that when it comes to NATO territory of Course, Cyprus is not a NATO, but

Our senior commanders are on this constantly.

I'm, as always, extremely impressed by our senior military people.

One is, of course, the regime posing a threat potentially to countries which are enabling what the US Is doing.

But also when it comes to the terrorist threat, we also have to be conscious of that which is already there now for over 45 years.

I know my own country where members of the Iranian diaspora were in the Netherlands under attack by Iran.

We have seen assassinations all over Europe.

So let's not forget with what type of regime we are dealing with.

And this is exactly the reason why all of us in Europe are extremely glad with what the Americans are doing here, because so it's that they cannot get their hands on this nuclear and ballistic capability.

Well, you seem convinced by the objective of regime change.

Is that what has been spelt out to you by the Secretary of War and by Marco Rubio?

I'm not talking to you about regime change.

What I'm telling you is that I'm happy that these capabilities are degraded.

We will see over the coming days and weeks how this will develop.

I hope for sure that Iranian people will have a vote in their own future government.

And secondly, I expect when this ends that Iran is not any longer an exporter of chaos to the region.

Export of chaos to Europe, an exporter of chaos to Ukraine by enabling the Russian war effort, degrading all those capabilities.

How do you imagine this is going to affect the war in Ukraine?

First of all, the US Support for it, and also the supply of those shahed drones to Russia.

Well, first of all, let's be conscious of the fact that the US Is providing key military enablements to Ukraine paid for by European and Canadian allies, including crucial interceptors.

Let's not forget that Iran, through the Shahid drones, is one of the main providers of military support to Russia to wage that war against Ukraine.

This will no doubt to have a huge impact on the potential for Ukraine to continue doing that.

And we have to make sure that also going forward, Ukraine has what it needs to stay as strong as possible in the fight.

And I will do everything I can to make that happen.

Before we let you go we're looking at a new life.

Picture just coming into is now of a strike in south Beirut.

It does look as though this war is expanding.

Are you at all concerned about the chaos that might ensue?

We hope that as few people from Israel or the United States will be involved in terms of lethality.