NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte praised U.S. and Israeli military efforts against Iran on Monday, noting that the strikes are reducing Tehran’s ability to develop nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. Speaking to ARD in Brussels, Rutte said the operations are “really important” for regional security and international stability.

Rutte made clear that NATO itself has no plans to become involved in the campaign. “There are absolutely no plans whatever for NATO to get dragged into this or being part of it, other than individual allies doing what they can to enable what the Americans are doing together with Israel,” he stated.

While acknowledging the alliance’s role in supporting global security, Rutte stressed that NATO’s engagement is limited to facilitating cooperation among member states, rather than conducting operations as a collective body. His remarks underscore NATO’s stance of backing allied actions indirectly without deploying its forces into the escalating U.S.-Israeli campaign in the region.