Iran's 4,000km Diego Garcia Strike: Rutte on NATO's Response
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- Iran fired two missiles at Diego Garcia, a U.S.-UK joint base in the Indian Ocean, from 4,000 km away — the furthest the country has ever struck, per CBS's Margaret Brennan
- Israel assessed the missiles were intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching Berlin, Paris, and Rome, but Rutte said NATO "cannot confirm" that assessment and is still analyzing the launch
- Rutte endorsed President Trump's campaign to degrade Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile capability, warning that delay risks repeating the North Korea precedent where negotiation ran out the clock
- Twenty-two countries — most NATO members plus Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Bahrain, and the UAE — have formed a coalition led by UK Prime Minister Starmer to secure free passage through the Strait of Hormuz
- Trump branded NATO a "paper tiger" and called European allies "cowards" for not helping open the Strait of Hormuz; Rutte said the U.S. could not pre-share "Epic Fury" attack plans for security reasons
- The Trump administration lifted sanctions on Russian oil exports, with Treasury estimating $2 billion flowing to Moscow and President Zelenskyy putting the figure at $10 billion
- Rutte said he spoke with Zelenskyy for 90 minutes in London and credited Trump as the only leader who broke the deadlock with Putin through a February 2025 phone call
Why it matters: Iran's 4,000-km Diego Garcia strike marks a major expansion in its demonstrated missile reach, and Rutte said Iran is 'very close' to ICBMs that could hit European capitals. The 22-country UK-led Hormuz coalition answers Trump's 'paper tiger' taunt, but the U.S. lifting of Russian oil sanctions — funneling $2-10 billion to Moscow — exposes contradictions in Trump's war strategy.
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