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NATO, Trump and Iran
U.S. President Donald Trump told NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office of the White House that he was "let down" because alliance members did not back the "war against Iran," adding that Washington "demolished" Iran "literally in the first week" without needing assistance.
“Trump said during a meeting with Rutte in the Oval Office of the White House.”
Rutte pushed back by pointing to the scale of U.S. air operations from Europe, saying there were 4,000 to 5,000 "US planes taking off from bases in Europe" during the conflict, and he later told journalists Trump is "completely committed to the NATO alliance."
The dispute over Iran also fed into broader NATO tensions as the Pentagon reviews the size of the U.S. military footprint in Europe, with Trump renewing threats to leave the 77-year-old alliance ahead of the NATO leaders' summit in Turkey next month.
The meeting came as NATO allies were not consulted about the war before the U.S. launched it with Israel on Feb. 28, and some allies have been openly critical of Trump's strategy.
In the lead-up to the summit, European leaders also prepared in Berlin, where German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the Ankara summit should send the message that "we will do our part when the conditions are in place" to support an Iran peace deal.
Italy base access dispute
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Italy allowed U.S. planes to use bases during the Iran war, telling Fox News that "500 planes took off from American bases in Italy" and that thousands of jets flew to Iran from Europe.
Rutte added that "Country after country, ally after ally" made their bases available, and he said that meant "thousands, between 4,000 and 5,000" planes taking off from European bases to support "Epic Fury."
Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto’s government response framed the controversy as a legal and factual dispute, with the defense ministry saying in a statement that only flights compliant with the Treaties would be allowed and that Rutte's message was "completely fallacious."
Opposition politicians pressed for clarification, with Green MP Angelo Bonelli saying, "Meloni deceived the Italians and parliament," and Il Sole 24 Ore reported that Crosetto and Tajani were ready to clarify in Parliament.
Rutte also said he believed Trump had done what was needed on Iran, adding in the same interview, "I think also he is right to move to this deal," after Trump and his Iranian counterpart signed a provisional deal to end military actions between the two countries.
Congress, media pressure, stakes
Beyond NATO diplomacy, the Iran war’s political trajectory also runs through Washington, where the U.S. Senate rejected for the seventh time this year a bill aimed at curbing President Donald Trump’s war powers with regard to Iran, failing 49 votes in favor and 50 against.
“The bill failed with 49 votes in favor and 50 against.”
The bill’s defeat included votes from Republicans who supported the measure alongside Democrats, with CNN adding that Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski supported it, while Jon Tester voted with the Republicans against the bill.
At the same time, Reuters and other outlets described a tightening information environment around the Iran war, with Euronews reporting that the U.S. Federal Communications Commission head Brendan Carr wrote on X that media outlets that "fake news" broadcast now have the opportunity to "correct their course before their license renewals."
Euronews also reported that Trump’s administration accused Cyanan of "lying" to undermine the "decisive success of military operations," and it quoted Mark Thompson saying, "We stand behind our journalists."
The stakes for the war’s continuation and oversight were also reflected in the domestic debate over how long the conflict should last, with CNN saying some Republicans argued that a conflict lasting more than 60 days should involve Congress in granting a war authorization or at least exercise greater oversight.
