# NATO’s Rutte Says Only U.S. Could Hit Iran’s Nukes, Calls for Stronger European Strike Power

*Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at 4:09 PM UTC — Hamer Intelligence Services Desk*

**Published**: 2026-09-30T16:09:54.197Z (2h ago)
**Category**: geopolitics | **Region**: Global
**Importance**: 8/10
**Sources**: OSINT
**Permalink**: https://hamerintel.com/data/articles/19255.md
**Source**: https://hamerintel.com/summaries

---

**Deck**: NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte backed U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear capability and argued that Europe must build the power to conduct similar operations itself, highlighting the alliance’s dependence on American forces from the Middle East to Ukraine and the Red Sea.

NATO’s top official is using the U.S. attack on Iran’s nuclear capability to underline how much Europe still leans on American firepower.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said it was only the United States that was capable of taking out Iran’s nuclear capability, describing that capability as a potential threat not just for Israel but also for European countries such as those represented in Brussels. He called the American president’s decision to degrade that capability crucial and said he was looking at the upsides of the action, while noting that every war has downsides.

Rutte argued that Europe needs to be able to carry out similar missions in the future. He said that Europeans should make sure they can do this themselves and that Europe could have such capabilities in about ten years. In his view, that would include being able to act against threats like Iran’s nuclear program and against forces such as the Houthis in the Red Sea.

The NATO chief described Europe’s defense industrial base as underdeveloped and not producing enough, even though the money exists. He said the problem is whether weapons and equipment can be bought, not whether funding is available. He added that the United States faces similar production strains and also needs to increase output.

Rutte linked this to the war in Ukraine. He said that in key areas such as Donetsk-front urban centers, Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, Ukrainian defenses are doing better now than half a year or a year ago. He pointed to Ukrainian strikes deep inside Russia against logistical systems, including energy infrastructure and warehouse systems.

According to Rutte, Russia is not doing well in Ukraine. He warned that constant alarm over developments at the front is exactly what Vladimir Putin wants, and urged calm and continued investment instead.

He also questioned the scale of Europe’s dependence on U.S. protection, calling it strange that about 600 million people living on NATO territory in Europe rely on a country with about 340 million people, located six to eight hours’ flight away, to help protect them from a Russia of around 140 million.

Rutte has said that Europeans should, in time, be the ones to handle operations such as dealing with the Houthis in the Red Sea instead of relying on the Americans, while acknowledging that such actions have ramifications.

The strategic choice he sketches is whether Europe develops the long-range, high-end capabilities to act on its own decisions, or continues to depend on U.S. presidents to undertake the riskiest operations that still directly affect European security.

Signals to watch include concrete moves by European governments to expand missile, drone and precision-strike production; new cooperative programs aimed at long-range missions; and any indication that Washington might limit or condition its role in high-risk operations against actors like Iran or the Houthis.