US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterated his criticism of NATO during alliance talks in Sweden. “There are many countries in NATO that agree with us that Iran can’t have a nuclear weapon,” he told reporters in Miami.
Rubio stated, “President Trump said, ‘Fine, I’m going to do something about it,’ but they refuse to do anything.”
The US and Israel launched an attack on Iran on February 28 without prior consultation from NATO. European allies expressed skepticism over the need for war, with global oil prices rising due to Tehran’s retaliation.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez denounced the war as illegal and refused to allow US jets to use Spanish bases. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Iran was “humiliating” the US in negotiations, leading Trump’s administration to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany.
Rubio, a strong supporter of NATO throughout his career, questioned its value for America when countries like Spain deny using NATO bases. He praised Portugal for its support.