President Donald Trump on Wednesday took a swipe at British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, saying he was "now gone," and said the United States had been "let down" by allies during its military offensive against Iran.
"We were let down," Trump told reporters at the White House after a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. "We didn't need help on this at all. We demolished them," he said of Iran.
"But it would have been nice if they would have said, 'We'd like to help,'" he said. "We didn't even need it, but it would have been nice if they said that. They didn't say it."
The president suggested he could have turned to Rutte for support if it had been necessary.
"I think if I would have called him, he probably would have found a way to help if we needed it," Trump said. "I feel, you know, it would have been a little bit different."
Trump then singled out several European countries for criticism.
"But I was disappointed. I was disappointed with Italy. I was disappointed with the UK," he said.
"He's now gone and, you know, he had a lot of problems," Trump said of Starmer.
Trump added that he was also disappointed with Germany and France.
"We were disappointed with Germany and France. We're disappointed with most of them," he said. "Spain is a horror show," Trump added.
Click here to follow the latest updates in the conflict with Iran.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said Wednesday that safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz is only possible through routes designated by Tehran.
The IRGC said it will take action against vessels that fail to comply with its requirements, Reuters reported.
"A few hours ago, without prior notice or coordination with the Islamic Republic of Iran, some authorities announced a new route for the passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, which is unacceptable and completely dangerous," the IRGC said in a statement published by official media, Iran International reported.
"It is hereby announced to all that the only permitted route for passage through the Strait of Hormuz is the route designated by the Islamic Republic of Iran," the statement said.
{{#rendered}}President Donald Trump on Wednesday declared that the Middle East is entering an era of peace for the first time in thousands of years amid a "historic" agreement with Iran.
“And last week we signed a historic agreement to end the conflict with Iran, fully reopened the Strait of Hormuz and accomplished what no president has ever been able to accomplish before,” Trump said in Washington, D.C., at the Great American State Fair kickoff on the National Mall.
“Iran will never have a nuclear weapon, and thanks to the power and skill of the United States Armed Forces today,” he added.
“Iran has no navy, no air force, no antiaircraft capacity, no missile launches, no manufacturing, and their leadership has been obliterated,” Trump said before adding that “for the first time in 3,000 years, we are finally going to have peace in the Middle East.”
The president also said that within “one week Iran was essentially finished in one hour.”
Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed Wednesday that the Defense Department's share of the supplemental funding request to cover expenses associated with the war in Iran totals $67 billion.
"We look forward to working with Congress to get this passed on behalf of the Warfighter and ensure we remain ready to respond to contingencies TODAY" Parnell said in a statement posted on X.
He also said the $350 billion included in Reconciliation 3.0 represents a "GENERATIONAL investment in our military."
"Without which," he said, "we cannot build Golden Dome, reshore critical minerals supply chains, scale munitions production, and make critical quality-of-life investments for our amazing service members."
"This guarantees our military dominance for decades to come, creates thousands of well-paying jobs in America, and ensures both PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH and PROSPERITY THROUGH STRENGTH," he added.
Echoing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's remarks about maintaining "the world's strongest military" to safeguard economic stability, predictability and American advantage, Parnell warned that the nation's "future military dominance hangs in the balance."
"We must pass Reconciliation 3.0," he said.
"This isn't optional — it's essential to modernize our forces, support our troops, crush our adversaries, and restore the warrior ethos President Trump demands."
"No more delays, no more excuses. Let's get it done for the greatest military in the history of the world," he added.
Iran's battered economy and U.S. financial pressure forced the regime to the negotiating table, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said as the Trump administration eased some sanctions to keep talks on track.
Speaking with Bret Baier at the Economic Club of New York on Tuesday, Bessent said the temporary sanction relief has its own purpose.
"The Iranians were always selling oil. It was going to China, but at a discount," Bessent said. "It is a carrot that we can always pull back."
"We want them to see what it feels like not having the sanctions on, and then we can always put them back on," he added.
Bessent said Iran's economy has been "devastated" by economic turmoil.
"They've got more than 100% inflation. Troops weren't getting paid, so we have political economy to work with, and that's what brought them to the table," he said.
Bessent also predicted economic gains for Americans once the conflict ends.
"We're going to get on the other side of this conflict, and the inflation will come back to target," he said.
"Prosperity and security are linked, and for decades we detached security and prosperity. We can't have real, durable prosperity without economic security."
{{#rendered}}U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz warned Wednesday that if Iran does not abandon its fixation with its nuclear program, all options remain on the table, including the reimposition of sanctions.
“As Secretary Bessent said, it is a temporary license on the sanctions,” Waltz told Martha MacCallum on “The Story,” referring to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s temporary 60-day general license allowing the production, sale and delivery of Iranian oil as part of an emerging diplomatic framework.
“The sanctions aren't being lifted,” Waltz said, adding that it is a “temporary license while we go through these negotiations.”
“As the president has repeatedly said, if they don't live up to their end of the bargain, if they don't negotiate in good faith, if they aren't prepared to finally give up this obsession with a nuclear program, they get slapped back on, and all options are on,” Waltz said.
Tehran blasted NATO on Wednesday, accusing it of complicity in U.S. strikes against Iran as Secretary General Mark Rutte highlighted support from alliance members during a meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei's remarks came as the NATO chief also dismissed reluctance among some U.S. allies to support military action against Iran as "isolated cases."
“This is a clear and damning admission of NATO’s active complicity in an unlawful war of aggression against a sovereign U.N. member state — a flagrant violation of peremptory norms of international law and the core principles of the U.N. Charter,” Baqaei wrote on X.
“The Organization and its individual member states that participated in such decision-making must be held accountable for all the consequences,” he added before stating that Italy and Romania are “explicitly named by NATO's secretary general to have participated in the aggression against Iran.”
Baqaei also accused the countries of having “assisted the American-Israeli aggression against” Iran and colluding in a “blatant act of aggression and in the commission of mass atrocities against Iranian people.”
Rutte had said Italy allowed U.S. military aircraft to take off from American bases in the country during strikes on Iran.
He also said military tanker operations required additional capacity at Bucharest's airport, leading Romanian authorities to reduce commercial air traffic.
Australia’s spy chief said Wednesday that Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) used two agents with ties to Australia to direct arson attacks against Jewish targets in 2024.
Mike Burgess, director-general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), told The Associated Press that an Australian citizen based in Iran directed the firebombing of a kosher restaurant in Sydney, while a former Australian resident living in Iraq directed an attack on Melbourne’s Adass Israel Synagogue.
Burgess said the Australian citizen was a senior Revolutionary Guard operative overseeing the group’s global networks, while the former resident was recruited through Iraqi militia groups due to his criminal connections.
Both cases remain under investigation, Burgess said, declining to identify the suspects.
“Iran continues to view Australia as a legitimate target for covertly directed acts of violence,” Burgess told the outlet.
{{#rendered}}President Donald Trump on Wednesday warned Iran against imposing costs on ships using the Strait of Hormuz, saying such a move could derail U.S. negotiations.
"Yeah. It would be unacceptable to me," Trump told reporters at the White House and sitting alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
The comments came after Trump said that Iran had indicated there are "NO TOLLS, NO INSURANCE COSTS, & NO OTHER CHARGES OF ANY KIND BEING SOUGHT OR RECEIVED BY IRAN ON SHIPS TRAVELING THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ."
"If this is false information, negotiations would end, immediately!" Trump wrote on Truth Social.
A spokesman for Iran's parliament National Security Committee had said Tehran would not yield to regional pressure over the waterway.
"The Islamic Republic did not conquer the Strait of Hormuz through negotiation, so it would not now give it up through negotiation," Ebrahim Rezaei wrote on X on Wednesday, adding that Iran "is not influenced by others."
Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., revealed Wednesday that he got into a heated exchange with President Donald Trump during a closed-door Senate GOP lunch amid reports of a clash between the two over Iran policy and congressional war powers.
Cassidy said Trump questioned why any Republican would support a War Powers Resolution related to Iran, prompting the Louisiana senator to defend his position.
"I'm not voting for war powers until I get a briefing. At which point, as I recall, he did not particularly care for my comments, raised his voice, and I lost my temper — that's not appropriate, it's the Irish in me — but I again matched his tone and his volume, and it went back and forth," Cassidy told Fox News.
"I make no apologies for standing up to the president — if you will — trying to demand that more information be shared with the Senate and more information be shared with the American people," Cassidy added.
According to Cassidy, Trump raised his voice during the exchange, prompting the senator to lose his temper. Cassidy said the argument grew so heated that fellow Republican senators eventually urged him to sit down.
"I am sticking up for the American people, even if I'm speaking to the president," Cassidy said.
"I made it clear that I wasn't going to be bullied, made it clear that I think we need answers, and that was that," he added.
The New York Post, citing multiple lawmakers, first reported the heated exchange, which centered on U.S. policy toward Iran and the War Powers Resolution aimed at limiting the president's military authority.
According to senators who attended the lunch, Trump was "mad as a murder hornet" after Cassidy joined three other Republicans in supporting the measure.
Fox News' Tyler Olsen contributed to this report.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Wednesday praised U.S. efforts to curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions, warning that Tehran was “exporting chaos” and terrorism while coming close to acquiring a nuclear weapons that would have threatened global security.
“About Iran. I really want to make clear how important it is what you are doing on Iran,” Rutte told reporters at the White House after a meeting with President Donald Trump.
“This is, first of all, about the nuclear capability,” he added before stating that Iran was “basically getting its hands on a nuclear capability, and that would have been a threat to the region.”
“That would have been a threat to the whole world,” Rutte added.
“This is a country that is exporting chaos. It is exporting terrorism, and they were very near to getting their hands on a nuclear capability,” the NATO head warned.
“You have seen it last week. And at the G7, all the leaders in the G7 applauded the fact that this nuclear capability has been degraded.”
“This is about security, about safety. This is the leader of the free world taking responsibility beyond the shores of the United States for the rest of the world.”
Rutte’s remarks came ahead of a pivotal NATO leaders summit in July.
{{#rendered}}Iran accused Washington on Wednesday of sending mixed signals about the memorandum of understanding (MOU) aimed at ending the conflict, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei saying U.S. statements risk deepening mistrust.
“The U.S. ruling establishment has never shown any sincerity in its behavior toward the Iranian nation,” Baqaei said in a post shared on X.
“Iran, while having ample reason for this suspicion, entered the diplomatic process in good faith and signed the memorandum of understanding to end the imposed war,” he added before stating that Iranians know that the “enemy's animosity will not end with the signing of a single agreement, and they will take every step with vigilance, bearing in mind the experiences of the past five decades, especially the developments of the last year and a half.”
“The contradictory statements by U.S. officials regarding the memorandum of understanding to end the imposed war will do nothing to reduce the accumulated distrust of Iranians and will merely serve as a reminder of past breaches of faith,” he said.
Baghaei said Washington should remember that the principle of "commitment for commitment" requires both sides to fulfill their obligations and avoid interpretations that contradict the memorandum's explicit language.
“The U.S. ruling establishment must bear in mind that the principle of "commitment for commitment" requires the fulfillment of reciprocal obligations and the avoidance of interpretations that are entirely at odds with the explicit wording of the memorandum of understanding text,” he added.
Around 20 million barrels of oil have exited the Strait of Hormuz in the last 24 hours, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Wednesday before thanking President Donald Trump and the United States military.
“In the last 24 hours, 72 ships and 20 million barrels of oil have transited through the Strait of Hormuz, fully restoring pre-conflict flows.
Thank you, President Trump, and the U.S. military!” Wright said in a post shared on X.
Three stranded tankers carrying 5 million barrels of crude were also seen exiting the strait on Wednesday, shipping data showed, as the interim deal between Iran and the U.S. helped unlock supplies stuck in the Gulf.
TankerTrackers reported that Iran had exported 40 million barrels of crude oil since June 15.
“Exactly half of that amount shipped out in a single day, which was last Friday,” the maritime intelligence firm said in a post shared on X.
Access to Iran’s nuclear sites and materials struck by the United States will only be examined and resolved within the framework of a final deal, its deputy foreign minister said Wednesday.
Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi also said the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had not met with the Iranian negociating team.
“In Switzerland, no meeting was held with Grossi, despite his request,” Gharibabadi said in a post on X.
“There is also no program for access to the attacked facilities and nuclear materials,” he added.
“These issues will solely be examined and resolved within the framework of the final agreement and as a result of the other party’s practical action in terminating all sanctions, and you cannot advance the ‘stir up and take over’ policy with media hype,” he added.
Ahead of the Lake Lucerne Summit between Iran and the United States, Rafael Grossi said the IAEA would be involved in technical discussions to implement the agreement, or memorandum of understanding, at the time.
The watchdog will carry out inspections in Iran soon following an interim peace accord between the United States and Iran, Grossi said on Wednesday, Reuters reported.
{{#rendered}}President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, businessman Michael Boulos, was photographed sitting next to Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday during a high-profile meeting with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Rubio shared a photo from the meeting on X.
“Met with UAE President @MohamedBinZayed in Abu Dhabi, where we discussed President Trump’s memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Iran, efforts to secure full and safe transit through the Strait of Hormuz, and regional stability,” Rubio said in the post.
“I thanked the UAE leadership for their unparalleled support, praised their courage and resilience in the face of Iran’s attacks, and reaffirmed our commitment to Emirati security and to our strong bilateral partnership.”
Boulos’ father, Massad Boulos, serves as Trump’s senior adviser on African affairs.
Asked about Boulos’ participation in the meeting, Rubio said: “He was just here because his brother lives here, and I’m a good friend of Michael, so we had a chance to catch up,” according to The Times of Israel.
President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Iran is so far agreeing to everything he wants during a 60-day negotiation phase to bring an end to the conflict, but warned that the United States would revert to doing what "we have to do" if Tehran fails to meet his demands.
“Our job numbers are incredible,” Trump told reporters at the White House.
“Anyway, I see that oil just broke the $70 mark,” he added.
“We would have thought that was going to happen. And that's during the war,” he said before adding that “Iran is being very nice.”
“They're agreeing to everything that I want, and they have to. Otherwise, we just go back and do what we have to do," Trump said.
An Iranian lawmaker claimed Wednesday that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s reported interest in meeting Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei was part of a U.S.-Israeli plan to lay the groundwork for targeting the Iranian leader, according to reports.
Citing Iranian social media platform Eitaa, Iran International reported that Kamran Ghazanfari said Sharif’s meeting with Khamenei was part of a plot by the United States and Israel to pave the way for Khamenei’s “martyrdom."
Ghazanfari reportedly made the remarks on the social media platform, where he alleged that the planned meeting was intended to facilitate efforts against the supreme leader.
The comments came after Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi traveled to Pakistan on Tuesday for a state visit for talks focused on ongoing negotiations between Iran and the U.S.
{{#rendered}}President Donald Trump said Wednesday that "the war is going very well" and "as you know, we're winning by a lot."
"Iran is making very big concessions. We'll see what happens. But it's been very, very, very powerful. it's going very, very well," Trump added.
The remarks come after a round of U.S.-Iran talks in Switzerland.
Last week, Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a 14-point memorandum aimed at ending the war.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that Lebanon and its military needs “to be able to control and secure more and more of their own territory, because that's who needs to control Lebanese territory, not a terrorist group like Hezbollah.”
Rubio made the comment as negotiations between Israel and Lebanon are unfolding in Washington and after Israel Defense Minister Israel Katz reportedly said Israeli troops won’t withdraw from a security zone in southern Lebanon “even if there is an American demand,”
“The only reason Israel is in Lebanon is because Hezbollah launches rockets and drones from there. They've made that clear,” Rubio said during a visit to Kuwait.
“And the talks continued today. They started yesterday. They'll go on today, they’ll go on tomorrow. And that's exactly what they're talking to the Lebanese about with our mediation. And that is our hope that the Lebanese Armed Forces and the legitimate, sovereign Lebanese government will continue to be able to control and secure more and more of their own territory, because that's who needs to control Lebanese territory, not a terrorist group like Hezbollah,” he continued.
“So that's the goal. And I think the Israelis have been clear. They don't have any quarrels with the Lebanese people, and they don't have any claims on the territory of Lebanon. The reason why they're involved there is because territory of Lebanon is being used to launch drones and missiles against Israel,” Rubio said. “But the more of that area the Lebanese Armed Forces is able to secure, the less of its in Hezbollah's control, the less Israel will be in Lebanon. But obviously, that's the process we're working through right now with these talks. That's at the core of these talks.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that he wants the deal between the United States and Iran to work out, “but if it doesn't, the president knows what his options are.”
Rubio made the remark after US-Iran talks in Switzerland this past weekend produced a 60-day roadmap toward a broader peace agreement.
“They want to get into a negotiation, we'll do a negotiation. If they make commitments at the negotiation, they need to keep them,” Rubio said. “If they don't keep them, the president has multiple options at his disposal. That includes sanctions and includes other things.”
“So I think the president's been clear -- If we're going to get a deal, it has to be a real deal and it has to be a good deal. If Iran wants to make a good and real deal, the United States is open to that. If they're not, then of course the president has options,” Rubio added. “We want this to work out. We hope it works out. But if it doesn't, the president knows what his options are.”
{{#rendered}}The U.S. embassy in Kuwait reopened on Wednesday following a suspension in March caused by Iranian attacks in the area, a State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
The spokesperson added that the embassy in Kuwait City will immediately resume emergency services for American citizens.
The embassy was closed in early March, during the beginning of Operation Epic Fury against Iran.
In a post on X, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, while visiting Kuwait, wrote “The American flag: a symbol of liberty, unity, and freedom now flies proudly once again over Kuwait City.”
“Kuwait is an indispensable partner for regional security and stability. The United States looks forward to strengthening our partnership across all areas of cooperation,” he added.
A State Department official told Fox News that the second day of talks between Israel and Lebanon are unfolding Wednesday in Washington, D.C.
State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said last week that Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun spoke by phone on Friday, where they “discussed the next round of negotiations, scheduled for June 23–25 in Washington, where the two sovereign governments will make progress toward a lasting peace.”
Israel and Hezbollah – an Iran-backed terrorist group in Lebanon -- reached a ceasefire agreement on Friday, but the truce has come under strain in recent days.
The State Department official said Wednesday that Israel and Lebanon are trying to end the cycle of violence for good and establish a long-lasting peace and security between the two nations
Fox News’ Nick Kalman contributed to this post.
Israel Defense Minister Israel Katz said Wednesday that Israeli troops won’t withdraw from a security zone in southern Lebanon “even if there is an American demand,” according to The Times of Israel.
“200,000 [Lebanese] residents will not return [to the homes they evacuated]. Because what happened in the past in security zones, where there was also a civilian population [present], was roadside bombs and attacks against the soldiers, and therefore we will not allow that,” the website quoted Katz as saying.
“We are not withdrawing,” he reportedly added.
Israel has been clashing with Hezbollah, the Iran-backed terrorist group in Lebanon, in recent weeks. Iran has been pushing for Israeli troops to withdraw from the area.
{{#rendered}}Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he met with United Arab Emirates President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, where they “discussed President Trump’s MOU with Iran, efforts to secure full and safe transit through the Strait of Hormuz, and regional stability.”
“I thanked the UAE leadership for their unparalleled support, praised their courage and resilience in the face of Iran’s attacks, and reaffirmed our commitment to Emirati security and to our strong bilateral partnership,” Rubio said in a post on X.
Rubio is currently traveling through the Middle East, with stops in the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Bahrain.
“The Secretary will discuss a range of regional priorities including the memorandum of understanding with Iran, efforts to secure full and free safe transit through the Strait of Hormuz, and the importance of peace and stability in the region. In Bahrain, the Secretary will also meet with the Gulf Cooperation Council to discuss shared priorities across the region,” according to the State Department.
The Israel Defense Forces said Wednesday that it struck two “armed Hezbollah terrorists” in southern Lebanon.
“This morning, Golani Reconnaissance Unit forces operating in the Ali Taher Ridge identified two armed terrorists from the Hezbollah terror organization who posed a threat to our forces operating in the security zone,” the IDF wrote on X.
“Immediately after the identification, the Air Force and ground forces struck the terrorists to remove the threat. The IDF will not allow the Hezbollah terror organization to harm the citizens of the State of Israel and IDF forces and will continue to operate to remove immediate threats,” it added.
On Tuesday, the IDF reported multiple incidents involving “terrorists” in the same area. Hezbollah, a terrorist group in Lebanon, is backed by Iran.
President Donald Trump told Fox News on Wednesday that U.S. inspectors will join the International Atomic Energy Agency when it goes into Iran to review the country’s nuclear sites.
"They'll make a deal, put it in writing, then they'll go out and say it's not true,” Trump said after Iran’s foreign ministry on Tuesday claimed there were no scheduled visits yet for the U.N. watchdog.
"They've agreed to it, they've agreed to the inspectors,” Trump told Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst.
The president also said there is no rush in getting the inspectors in.
Fox News' Trey Yingst contributed to this post.
{{#rendered}}President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Iran has informed the U.S. it will seek no tolls or any other charges for ships traveling through the Strait of Hormuz.
“Iran has informed the U.S. that, despite troublemaking Fake News reporting to the contrary, there are ‘NO TOLLS, NO INSURANCE COSTS, & NO OTHER CHARGES OF ANY KIND BEING SOUGHT OR RECEIVED BY IRAN ON SHIPS TRAVELING THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“If this is false information, negotiations would end, immediately!” Trump continued.
“Additionally, no money has been given to Iran, or released from their money to them, by the U.S. We will be releasing some of their money, that is totally controlled by us, to our Farmers and Ranchers, for the purchase of Corn, Wheat, Soybeans, and more. Food is desperately needed in Iran, and we will be purchasing it for them exclusively from the United States,” Trump also said.
Iran’s hardline parliament speaker and key negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the deal between the U.S. and Iran aimed at ending the war is “America’s declaration of defeat,” a report said.
“The Islamabad understanding was not the result of pressure and coercion, but rather the result of the resistance and authority of the brave Iranian nation,” Ghalibaf said on Iranian television, according to The Times of Israel.
“That is why, the Islamabad memorandum of understanding became a declaration of America’s defeat,” he reportedly added.
Rafael Mariano Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said Wednesday that inspections of Iran’s nuclear sites are “going to happen.”
The declaration comes after Iran’s foreign ministry on Tuesday claimed there were no scheduled visits yet.
“I can understand political statements, they are part of the reality, but the fundamental thing I would like to remind you and draw your attention to is that there has been a Memorandum of Understanding, signed by both presidents,” Grossi said Wednesday, according to The Associated Press.
The accord “says explicitly that the nuclear activities that are going to be carried out with regards to the nuclear material facilities will be supervised by the IAEA — in all letters,” he said.
“Obviously, to do that, we will have to inspect. Whether this happens the day after tomorrow or in one week or in 10 days, it’s important, but not essential. This is going to happen,” Grossi added.
The Associated Press contributed to this post.
{{#rendered}}NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Tuesday voiced support for President Donald Trump's criticism of NATO but argued that despite some frustrations within the alliance, European members have provided support to U.S.-led military operations.
His remarks came after Trump renewed pressure on NATO allies to increase contributions to collective defense and support alliance missions.
“I completely back him on this when it comes to NATO,” Rutte said during an appearance on Fox News' "Special Report with Bret Baier."
“I know there is disappointment, but let's also see these are isolated cases,” he added.
Rutte pointed to European support for military action against Iran, noting that thousands of flights originated from European bases to assist the mission.
“I totally understand the disappointment, but when you take, for example, Italy, 500 U.S. planes took off from U.S. bases in Italy to support the operation. So this is massive.”
He also highlighted logistical assistance provided by other allies.
“When you look at all of Europe, again, it's between 4,000 and 5,000 sorties,” Rutte said. “A country like Romania — in its capital, Bucharest — had to cut down on commercial air traffic because the airport was being used as a tanker facility. So all this is taking place," he said.
President Donald Trump ripped the Senate for holding a war powers resolution vote on Tuesday, saying the measure was “poorly timed and meaningless.”
The Senate voted 50-48 to back legislation aimed at limiting U.S. military involvement in Iran. The measure, which previously passed the House, received support from four Republicans: Sens. Rand Paul, Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins and Bill Cassidy. Sen. John Fetterman was the lone Democrat to vote against it.
“So, I have Iran on the ‘ropes,’ ready to go down for the fall, willing to give us practically anything, and for the first time in decades, respecting the hell out of the United States and its President, ME, and the U.S. Senate decides to have a poorly timed and meaningless War Powers Act Vote, telling the Number One Sponsor of Terror in the World that the United States doesn’t like what I am doing to them, and I must stop, and by so doing has provided aid and comfort the Enemy,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“Four Republican Losers voted with the Dumocrats, and Iran asked my people, ‘what does that all mean?’ These Senators have just made my job more difficult, but I will get it done, one way or the other, because I always get it done!” Trump added.
Yesterday's Fox News Digital live blog offers additional coverage of the conflict with Iran.
Fox News Digital’s Emma Bussey contributed to this post.
Coverage for this event has ended.