LONDON, March 25. /TASS/. Several European countries have expressed dissatisfaction with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte’s statements supporting US President Donald Trump's policy toward Iran, the Financial Times (FT) reported, citing diplomats.
According to them, Rutte’s proposal for European countries to participate in the operation in the Strait of Hormuz has put them "in an awkward position," as the EU is not prepared to become involved in the conflict. Europe’s concern over the conflict, which has escalated in the Middle East and caused a sharp rise in oil and gas prices, stands in stark contrast to the comments of the NATO chief, who regularly tries to please the American leader to ensure Washington’s continued involvement in the alliance, the newspaper writes. Diplomats expressed concern that Rutte’s statements often diverged from those of other EU leaders. Head of European diplomacy Kaja Kallas emphasized that what is happening "is not a war between Europe," a sentiment that was backed by Germany, Italy, and Spain, the newspaper notes. Meanwhile, a NATO representative told the newspaper that the alliance is not involved in hostilities but is monitoring the situation.
The United States and Israel launched a military operation against Iran on February 28. Major Iranian cities, including Tehran, were struck. The White House justified the attack by citing alleged missile and nuclear threats from Iran. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced a retaliatory operation, targeting sites in Israel. US military bases in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE were also hit. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and some other key Iranian leaders were killed in the joint US-Israeli attack. On March 11, Khatam al-Anbiya, the central headquarters of the Iranian army, said that Iran would not allow any oil cargo related to the United States and its allies to be transported through the Strait of Hormuz. On March 15, Tehran said it would resort to any methods, including controlling the movement of ships in the Strait of Hormuz, to force the enemy to surrender.