American military forces carried out a series of strikes on Iranian targets in the early hours of Wednesday morning, following attacks on three merchant vessels in waters off the coast of Oman. The action brought the Strait of Hormuz back into the global spotlight as NATO leaders gathered for the second day of their summit in Ankara, Turkey.
U.S. Central Command announced through a social media post that the strikes were launched “to impose heavy costs for targeting and attacking commercial shipping crewed by innocent civilians in an international waterway.”
The NATO summit is centered around demonstrating the alliance’s growing military strength at a time when U.S. attention is shifting away from European defense. Leaders are presenting military initiatives worth billions of dollars, with the goal of convincing President Trump that Europe is building a stronger defense posture within the alliance.
As Wednesday’s summit sessions got underway, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte declared that the overnight U.S. strikes on Iran were justified, stating that Iran had broken the terms of the ceasefire. “I think it is totally crucial that the U.S. forcefully reacts,” Rutte said. He also called on NATO members to reaffirm that Iran must never obtain nuclear capabilities and to stand behind the principle of free navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
On Tuesday, President Trump met with Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan ahead of the summit and announced plans to lift sanctions against Turkey, which could open the door to selling F-35 fighter jets to the country — a move that faces opposition from Israel.
Trump also took aim at NATO’s ability to operate without U.S. leadership, expressing frustration that some alliance members declined to participate in the military campaign against Iran — a war he launched alongside Israel without first consulting NATO partners.
The president once again pushed his position that Greenland should be “controlled by the United States, not by Denmark,” a stance that has been described as the single greatest threat Trump has posed to the NATO alliance.
Responding directly to Trump’s comments at the summit, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was unequivocal: “Greenland is of course not for sale.” She added, “We hope that all, including all allies, will respect the Greenland people right for self-determination. And we are sovereign states and we need everybody to respect our territorial integrity and our sovereignty.” Frederiksen also affirmed that Denmark stands ready to defend every corner of NATO territory, including its own, and expects fellow alliance members to honor their mutual defense commitments.
