NATO chief warns Iran must never get nuclear bomb

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte reiterated the alliance’s long-standing position that Iran must not be permitted to acquire a nuclear weapon, as the conflict between Israel and Iran intensified with fresh strikes exchanged on June 23.

"When it comes to NATO's stance on Iran's nuclear programme, allies have long agreed that Iran must not develop a nuclear weapon," Caliber.Az quotes Rutte as saying per foreign media.

Ahead of the NATO summit set to begin on June 24 in The Hague, Rutte also dismissed concerns that the Middle East crisis would overshadow the upcoming meeting of the alliance’s 32 leaders.

He further criticised Tehran’s role in Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine, stating that “Iran was heavily involved” in the conflict. “Iranian drones are killing innocent Ukrainians every day in cities, in communities without any respect for life,” he said.

The comments come amid heightened regional tensions following a series of Israeli airstrikes on Iran, launched in response to Tehran’s drone and missile attacks on Israeli territory.

Over the weekend, US President Donald Trump claimed that American bombers had struck Iran’s nuclear facilities with “bunker buster” bombs that had “obliterated” the country’s nuclear capabilities.

However, other Western officials have cautioned that it remains too early to determine the full extent of the damage to Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, which Israel and several of its allies see as an existential threat.

In response to the US strikes, Iranian officials warned that the bombings would “pave the way for the extension of war in the region” and cautioned of “serious, unpredictable consequences.”

Meanwhile, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei condemned Israel’s ongoing offensive, which began on 13 June, calling it “a big mistake.”

According to Iran’s health ministry, Israeli airstrikes have killed more than 400 people. In contrast, Iran’s attacks on Israel have left 24 people dead, according to official Israeli figures.

By Aghakazim Guliyev