"NATO's position on Iran's nuclear program is clear and has long been agreed upon: Iran must not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon," Rutte said during the alliance's summit in The Hague, adding that the alliance has "repeatedly urged Iran to abide by its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty."
The NATO Secretary General accused Tehran of playing an active role in the Russian war on Ukraine, saying, "Iranian drones are killing innocent civilians every day in Ukrainian cities and towns, with no respect for life."
In the context of the war in Ukraine, Rutte said that the consensus reached at last year's summit in Washington, that "Ukraine's accession to the alliance is irreversible," remains in effect.
Rutte's statements come amid a mutual military escalation between Israel and Iran. Tel Aviv launched a large-scale military campaign on June 13 targeting military and nuclear facilities inside Iran. Tehran responded by launching missiles and drones toward Israel, in an unprecedented escalation between the two sides.
Early Sunday morning, the United States launched airstrikes targeting three major nuclear facilities in Iran, declaring that it had "destroyed" the Iranian nuclear program, according to official US statements.
According to Iranian Health Ministry data, the Israeli strikes killed more than 400 people. Israel, in contrast, announced the deaths of 24 people as a result of Iranian attacks.
