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NATO allies are not “obliged” to assist the United States and Israel in the war with Iran, Turkey’s Trade Minister, Ömer Bolat, told Euronews’ Europe Today.
US President Donald Trump has issued an ultimatum to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Washington, DC, urging allies to find a solution to reopening the Strait of Hormuz within days.
Rutte is in Washington for a series of meetings, including a closed-door discussion with the US president, as well as Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Only a limited number of vessels have been able to pass through the Strait, despite a tentative ceasefire agreed on Tuesday evening aimed at restoring traffic.
A coalition of around 40 countries — mainly NATO members, alongside Japan, South Korea and Australia — has been working on a strategy to secure the waterway once hostilities have ceased.
However, Trump is pushing for an immediate solution, including the deployment of military assets and naval forces.
“NATO’s presence is primarily as a deterrent force to maintain peace and security on the European continent, but also globally,” Bolat said.
Asked whether NATO countries were within their rights to remind Trump that the alliance is defensive in nature and was not involved in planning the conflict, Bolat replied: “Yes.”
NATO members have rejected initial US calls to support the military campaign in Iran, noting they were not consulted ahead of the strikes.
They also reaffirmed the alliance’s defensive mandate, rejecting claims from the White House that they had a duty to intervene alongside the US.
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