NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, left, meets with President Donald Trump at the White House on June 24, 2026. Rutte pushed back on criticisms from the Trump administration over what the U.S. says was lack of allied support during the Iran conflict. (NATO)
Thousands of U.S. military planes took off from bases and airports in Europe during the Iran war, NATO’s top official said this week while pushing back on White House claims that allies did not offer support during the conflict.
Secretary-General Mark Rutte said during a meeting Wednesday with President Donald Trump that up to 5,000 U.S. military flights launched from inside NATO territory during the six-week campaign against Iran.
“I know there have been isolated cases about which you are really disappointed, but generally speaking, your European allies have been there with you,” Rutte said.
However, Trump seemed unconvinced by Rutte’s argument.
“We were disappointed with most of them,” he said.
During the campaign, numerous U.S. military bases in Europe aided combat operations against Iran. The list includes locations in Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy and Romania.
Rutte highlighted an instance in which an airport in Bucharest, the Romanian capital, was closed to commercial traffic for a time so that U.S. aerial refueling tankers could get airborne.
His comments come as allies in Europe face intense U.S. criticism over disagreements about the Iran conflict. Last week, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth blasted NATO members for what he called a lack of support.
Decisions about the United States’ future force posture in Europe will be influenced by how allies responded to the operation in Iran, Hegseth said.
Trump on Wednesday reiterated his unhappiness with allies and singled out several countries, including Germany.
His irritation with Germany could stem more from Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s comments about the war rather than from issues with base access and overflight rights, given the large role American facilities in Germany played in the war.
Merz said in April that the United States was “being humiliated by the Iranian leadership” and that the war should come to a quick end. Soon after those comments, the Pentagon announced a plan to pull 5,000 troops from Germany.
On Wednesday, Trump had more tough words for Spain, perhaps the loudest NATO critic of the Iran war. The country denied the U.S. access to its bases and airspace for any operations connected to the Iran mission.
“They think they’re in for a free ride. Spain is not a good group,” Trump said. He also referred to the country as a “horror show.”
Rutte was largely effusive in his praise of Trump during their discussion Wednesday and said the war in Iran was a boost for European security.
“This is the leader of the free world taking responsibility beyond the shores of the United States, for the rest of the world, and this is what you did,” Rutte said.
At one point, Rutte stood beside a chart highlighting how NATO allies have increased defense spending during Trump’s first and second terms.
“This chart is about the Trump trillion,” he said. “The Trump trillion shows you the increase Europeans and Canadians are paying into defense since you took office in 2017.”
While the threat posed by Russia is a driving factor in the increased spending, Rutte said he was also “absolutely convinced” it would not have been achieved without Trump as president.
Trump has long been skeptical of NATO’s value to the United States, and the Pentagon is looking for ways to shift more of the defense burden on the Continent to European allies.
Besides security matters, Rutte made a business-based pitch to Trump to keep the U.S. involved in the bloc. With increased defense spending in Europe, more money is being invested in the American defense sector, he said.
“In total, 195,000 jobs (are) being supported by investments from European companies into the United States,” Rutte said. “These are real jobs.”
