NATO secretary general: US airstrikes on Iran legally justified

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has stated that the recent US airstrikes targeting Iranian nuclear facilities do not constitute a violation of international law.

His remarks were made during a press conference ahead of the NATO summit, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

“I do not believe the US strike constituted a breach of international law,” Rutte said, responding to growing international scrutiny over the legality of the US military action.

He emphasised that his primary concern lies not with the legality of the strike, but with the strategic threat posed by Iran’s potential nuclear capabilities. 

“What I fear most is that Iran will obtain nuclear weapons and become capable of deploying them,” he warned.

Moreover, Rutte has not ruled out the possibility that the issue of regime change in Iran may be raised during the upcoming NATO summit in The Hague on June 24–25, despite the topic not being on the summit's official agenda.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of the gathering, Rutte responded cautiously when asked about his personal view on a potential change of leadership in Tehran.

“I would love to answer that question, but I must restrain myself,” he said, according to a statement published on NATO’s official website.

Rutte added that while the subject is not part of the summit’s formal programme, individual member states may bring it up during the summit’s sole plenary session, scheduled for June 25.

By Naila Huseynova