Hegseth criticizes NATO allies for hesitating on Iran military strikes

Minister of War Pete Hegseth He warned that some traditional US allies are “concerned and angry about the use of force” as Washington presses ahead with its campaign against Iran, raising new questions about NATO’s cohesion in a moment of escalation.

Spain rejected US permission to use certain bases to launch strikes on Iran, and called for a halt to escalation and adherence to international law. Turkey criticized the operation and warned of wider regional destabilization, while President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he was “saddened” by the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and denied using Turkish territory in the campaign.

In a statement issued on Saturday, French President Emmanuel Macron said that “the outbreak of war between the United States, Israel and Iran carries serious consequences for international peace and security.” He added: “The continued escalation is dangerous for everyone and must stop.”

During Monday’s press conference, Hegseth sharply compared Israel to what he described as reluctant allies. “Israel also has clear missions, for which we are grateful. Capable partners, as we have said from the beginning. Capable partners are good partners, unlike many of our traditional allies, who are wringing their hands and clutching their pearls, and hesitating and hesitating about using force.”

US President Donald Trump and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth look on as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Kaine (offscreen) speaks to the press following US military operations in Venezuela, at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida, on January 3, 2026. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)

These criticisms reflect growing frustration within the administration that while some European capitals have issued statements of support, operational support does not match the rhetoric.

president Donald Trump He also expressed his dissatisfaction with the Allies’ hesitation. In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, Trump said he was “very disappointed” in British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for initially blocking US use of British bases, and that Starmer took “a lot of time” to reverse course.

United Kingdom later Authorized US use of major facilitiesincluding Diego Garcia, after raising initial legal objections and after a drone strike on the RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, US President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer pose with leaders of NATO countries for a family photo during the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Heads of State and Government Summit in The Hague, Netherlands, June 25, 2025. (Ben Stansall/Pool via Reuters)

Justin Fulcher, Hegseth’s senior adviser, told Fox News Digital that the moment represents “a very critical inflection point where… NATO must act “In a unified way to support what the United States is doing.”

He framed the issue as bigger than the current campaign. “Symbolically, the US-NATO alliance is critical when considering actually restoring global deterrence,” Fulcher said, arguing that visible unity would send a message not just to Tehran but to other geopolitical rivals watching how the alliance responds under pressure.

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President Donald Trump, right, speaks with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte during a group photo of NATO heads of state and government at the NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands, Wednesday, June 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Gert Vanden Wegengert)

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte He sought to downplay suggestions of division.

“I spoke with all the major European leaders over the weekend,” Rutte told Fox News. “There is widespread support for what the president is doing.”

He added: “Europe is intensifying its efforts and doing what is necessary to ensure that this process can move forward and provide all the necessary empowerment.”

Germany took a more cautious tone. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned on Sunday that the strikes could lead to an Iraq or Afghanistan-style quagmire and that Europe would bear the consequences.

At the same time, he said that Berlin would not “indoctrinate” the United States. “We are aware of the dilemma,” explaining that repeated attempts over the past decades have not prevented Iran from trying to obtain nuclear weapons or suppress its people. He added: “Therefore, we will not lecture our partners about their military strikes against Iran.”

“Despite all the doubts, we share many of their goals,” he said.

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Smoke rises in Tehran after an explosion on March 2, 2026, amid ongoing US and Israeli military strikes. (Majed Saeedi/Getty Images)

Fulcher compared the current hesitation to strong reactions from some NATO capitals during the alliance’s previous conflicts, including tensions surrounding Greenland.

“When you look at Greenland, this has clearly been a very sensitive topic for some countries in the alliance,” Fulcher said. “It has been Iran for decades A major promoter and financier of terrorism He said: “Around the world – the attacks that happened in Europe, in many NATO countries and European countries. For me, it is very shocking that we are witnessing a difficult time for many NATO members to fully unify their efforts and intensify their support for the United States and what the United States and Israel are doing in Iran.”

He said Europe has a great strategic incentive to see Iranian capabilities deteriorate.

“I actually think that Europe and NATO would benefit more from neutralizing the threat that emanates from Iran,” Fulcher said. He added: “When you look at whether it’s the ballistic missile threat or some of the state-sponsored terrorist threats, Europe has been on the receiving end of those threats much more than the United States has in some cases.”

He stressed that support must extend beyond general support.

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NATO leaders pose in this photo taken in June. Military leaders will meet in Washington on Tuesday evening to discuss securities options for Ukraine. (Reuters/Claudia Greco)

“Some of our European allies can do a lot not just to provide support in words, which should be the minimum here, but also to provide support through actual, tangible actions,” Fulcher concluded.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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