U.S. air strikes on Iran did not break international law, NATO’s Rutte says

Pre-emptive U.S. air strikes on Iran are not a violation of international law, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said as he prepared to welcome President Donald Trump to a summit of member countries that was choreographed to keep the United States in the military alliance.

Mr. Rutte, NATO’s top civilian official, was speaking ahead of the Tuesday opening of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit, where 32 country leaders, including Prime Minister Mark Carney, are set to agree to hike core defence spending to 3.5 per cent of their annual economic output, as Mr. Trump has demanded. The U.S. President said in March said he wouldn’t defend allies that are not paying enough for their defence.

Mr. Rutte defended the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites − which occurred without a United Nations Security Council resolution or a preceding attack on the United States − after being asked twice about whether they breached international law, as Russia’s attack on Ukraine did in in 2022.

“My biggest fear would be for Iran to own and be able to use and deploy a nuclear weapon to be a stranglehold on Israel, on the whole region and other parts of the world,” the secretary-general said.

“This is a consistent position of NATO: Iran should not have its hands on a nuclear weapon,” he said. “I would not agree that this is against international law — what the U.S. did."

Israel targets Iran’s government and key Tehran prison as Iran launches more attacks on Israel

Mr. Carney heads to the June 24-25 NATO meeting at The Hague after a stop in Brussels where he signed a defence pact with the European Union as part of a pivot away from the United States. On Monday, he called Canada “the most European of the non-European countries” and argued closer relations with the 27-member bloc are necessary during “a hinge moment” in history when the rules-based international order is under threat.

The Security and Defence Partnership makes it possible for Canadian companies to participate in a $1.3-trillion project to arm European countries, forming buying clubs with member countries to purchase military gear more quickly and efficiently.

Mr. Carney’s embrace of the European Union also included new talks aimed at removing barriers to deeper economic integration with Canada’s second-largest trading partner after the United States.

The Prime Minister declined to say when asked whether he feels the United States broke international law. Instead, he said Iran has breached international law by sponsoring terrorism.

“Iran has pursued nuclear weapons. Where Iran has expressed a desire to eliminate the state of Israel, where the state of Iran has been a sponsor of terrorism, Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis and beyond,” he said. He noted Canada has designated these groups plus the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a branch of Iran’s armed forces, as terrorist organizations. “These are violations of international law. These are the ones we look to.”

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, who met with Mr. Carney on Monday, told reporters he is of two minds on the U.S. air strikes.

“In a rules-based world, you just don’t start bombing other people,” he said. “Having said that, Iran is an evil regime,” Mr. De Wever said.

“Iran is the big sponsor of terrorism.”

“Without Iran, there wouldn’t have been a Hamas. Without a Hamas, not a 7th of October. Without the 7th of October, not a war in Gaza,” he said. “Without Iran, there wouldn’t be a Hezbollah. There wouldn’t be Houthis. So it’s a hard regime to feel sorry for.”

Open this photo in gallery:

Both Canada and the EU committed to boosting their trade in critical minerals and maritime security, saying in a joint statement they would look for ways to engage in “coordinated naval activities.”

Even as he embraced Europe, Mr. Carney did not directly answer a journalist’s question on whether he feels more comfortable in Brussels or Washington.

“In terms of relative comfort, well, it’s very hot in Washington right now and very humid,” the Prime Minister told the media, adding that the EU and Canada have similar views on topics such the importance of labour standards, on building sustainability and “how we develop a true partnership in in matters of defence.”

Mr. Carney, who agreed with Mr. Trump at the recent Group of Seven summit to strike a deal with the United States to end the Canada-U.S. trade war “within 30 days,” also sounded less sure of this Monday.

Asked what retaliatory actions Canada is considering if Ottawa and Washington don’t clinch a trade agreement by mid-July, besides higher tariffs on U.S. steel and aluminum, the Prime Minister warned success in talks with the United States is not guaranteed.

“We’re working hard to to get a deal, but only the right deal with the United States,” he said. “A right deal is possible, but nothing’s assured.”

Regardless of how Canada-U.S. talks fare, Mr. Carney said Ottawa will seek reliable trade partners such as the EU. “Only some of us in NATO are talking about an allied industrial policy that will make us stronger. That’s the future of trade, not a narrow discussion on tariffs.”

The joint Canada-EU statement issued Monday did not explicitly support the U.S. bombing of Iran but expressed “our deepest concern at the dangerous escalation following Israeli strikes on Iran, and Iran’s response.”

The statement called on “all sides to show restraint and and abide by international law” and did not grant the U.S. an exemption in its wording.

“We have been consistently clear that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon. A diplomatic solution remains the best way to address concerns over Iran’s nuclear program,” the EU-Canada statement said. “The EU and Canada stand ready to contribute to a negotiated deal, which imposes verifiable constraints on Iran’s nuclear program, with the International Atomic Energy Agency in charge of monitoring and verification.”