In a statement released on Wednesday, Spokesman of Iran's Foreign Ministry said Rutte's repeated comments amounted to an admission that European countries were not impartial during the conflict but instead facilitated the military operation by providing territory, military bases, and logistical infrastructure.
Esmaeil Baqaei said that those governments that supported the campaign cannot escape responsibility for an unprovoked aggression and its consequences.
The statement also accused the NATO chief of attempting to justify what an illegal war while describing his remarks as evidence of political subservience rather than leadership.
The criticism follows Rutte's comments at a NATO meeting in Turkey, where he defended the Alliance's stance during the war on Iran and praised NATO members for their unity and support, remarks that prompted a strong response from Tehran.
Mark Rutte's repeated expressions of support for U.S. President Donald Trump have sparked widespread controversy across political and media circles.
At the recent NATO meeting in Turkey, a journalist from Denmark challenged the NATO Secretary General, saying:
"You sit next to Donald Trump while he talks about taking over Greenland and verbally attacks allies such as Spain—positions that the former Mark Rutte did not appear to share. When you sit there without responding, doesn't that affect your self-respect or sense of dignity?"
Rutte did not directly answer the question. Instead, he replied:
"I think we should thank Donald Trump for the fact that NATO is now much stronger."
Hossein Amiri - seyed mohammad kazemi
