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NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Wednesday defended the latest U.S. military strikes on Iran, calling them “absolutely necessary” as alliance leaders gathered in Ankara for the NATO summit.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the leaders’ meeting, Rutte said the United States was justified in responding after accusing Iran of violating an already fragile ceasefire.

“When you have a ceasefire and Iran is basically violating the ceasefire, I think it is totally crucial that the U.S. forcefully react,” he said.

The comments came after the U.S. military launched a new wave of strikes against Iran on Tuesday and revoked a license allowing Tehran to sell oil. The moves followed attacks on three tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, increasing pressure on the ceasefire.

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NATO leaders seek to reassure Trump

The Iran conflict is expected to be one of the key issues discussed at the NATO summit, where European leaders are seeking to convince U.S. President Donald Trump to reaffirm Washington’s commitment to the alliance.

Relations within NATO have faced renewed strain in recent months following disagreements over the Iran war and other geopolitical issues.

Despite those tensions, Rutte said there should be no doubt about the United States’ commitment to NATO.

“There could be no doubt over the complete commitment of the United States to NATO,” he said, adding that the alliance also serves to protect U.S. security interests.

Defense spending remains a key priority

Rutte also reiterated Washington’s long-standing expectation that European allies and Canada should increase defense spending to levels comparable with the United States.

“There’s also the expectation that the Europeans and the Canadians will equalize their spending with the United States, which I think is completely fair,” he said.

The NATO chief argued that increased defense investment by European allies and Canada represented a major achievement for the alliance.

“The good news is that this is the big win today. It’s the loss for Putin, it is a win for President Trump that the Europeans and the Canadians are doing exactly that,” Rutte said.