NATO May Invoke Article 5 On Collective Defense Against Iran
- 5.03.2026, 8:58
The Alliance's secretary general said it was possible to go to war against Iran.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte told Newsmax that there is "broad support" among alliance countries for US President Donald Trump's campaign against Iran's nuclear and missile capabilities.
This was reported by NEWSMAX.
Support without formal involvement
Rutte said NATO is not directly involved in the operation. "NATO is not involved," he stressed on "The Record With Greta Van Susteren" program.
He added: "But clearly, allies, in fact, are supporting on a huge scale what the president is doing and also contributing to what the U.S. is now doing in the region, destroying this Iranian nuclear capability and, of course, missile capability."
He noted that European states share concerns about Tehran's actions, including the threats and assassination attempts associated with the Iranian regime.
"Here in Europe, we are aware of Iran's influence and its negative impact," Rutte said, mentioning risks to the Iranian diaspora and threats to the Netherlands.
NATO Security Assurances
Commenting on the situation, the secretary general assured that the alliance ensures the protection of its territory.
"At present, as NATO, we ensure comprehensive protection of every centimeter of NATO territory," he said.
As an example, he cited an incident with a missile threat towards Turkey, which was neutralized by the alliance's missile defense systems.
Rutte also spoke about Article 5 of the NATO treaty, noting that the issue of its application is deliberately left undefined.
"For good reasons, we will always be ambiguous about when Article 5 is triggered," he said, emphasizing that if the mechanism is triggered, allies will report it immediately.
Contacts with partners in the region
The alliance chief added that he is in constant communication with partners in the Middle East, including the UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. NATO stands ready to contribute to their security amid attacks in the region, he said.