New US attacks on Iran were 'absolutely necessary', says Nato chief

The new attacks by ​the US on Iran were "absolutely necessary," Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Wednesday.

 

The US military unleashed a new wave of strikes against Iran on Tuesday and revoked a license allowing Tehran ‌to sell oil after three ​tankers were hit by ​projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz, putting pressure on ​an already fragile ceasefire.

 

"When you have a ceasefire and Iran is basically violating the ceasefire, I think it is totally crucial that the US forcefully react," Rutte ​told reporters before a summit of Nato leaders in Ankara.

 

At ‌their summit, European leaders aim to convince Donald Trump ​to re-commit to the military alliance, after the US president revived his disputes with them over the Iran war and Greenland.

 

 

Rutte said ‌there could be ​no doubt over the "complete commitment ‌of the United States to Nato," which he said ‌also works to protect the United States.

 

"But there's also ​the expectation that the Europeans and the Canadians will equalise their spending with the United States, which ​I think is completely fair," he added.

 

"The good news is that this is the ‌big win today. It's the loss for Putin, it is ‌a win for President Trump that the Europeans and the Canadians are doing exactly that."