NATO Secretary General: Washington Disappointed by Europe's Stance on Iran Issue

¬ Media: Other NATO countries cannot find alternatives to the strategic bombers the U.S. refuses to provide

¬ U.S. Navy: One U.S. personnel missing after military helicopter emergency landing in Arabian Sea

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NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said in an interview with Germany’s Handelsblatt that the stance taken by Europe on the Iran issue has disappointed the American leadership.

At the same time, he emphasized that Europe remains a key military platform for the United States.

Rutte stated: "Over 5,000 sorties have been launched from military bases in Europe by U.S. aircraft, making Europe a unified, large-scale platform for U.S. power projection. This is also one of the decisive reasons why the U.S. takes a strong interest in alliances with Europe."

He denied speculation about divisions within NATO, calling the alliance "very strong."

In April, U.S. President Trump said he was seriously considering withdrawing from NATO after the alliance refused to assist in military actions against Iran.

Previously, Trump claimed that NATO’s unwillingness to help secure the Strait of Hormuz had severely damaged his authority and referred to NATO as a "paper tiger."

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According to sources cited by Reuters, NATO faces difficulties replacing strategic bombers, as the United States has no intention of providing these aircraft to NATO.

Reuters reported: "The primary gap NATO still seeks to fill is precisely strategic bombers."

The report noted that as the only NATO member state currently possessing strategic bombers, the United States plans to offer only one such aircraft to NATO—down from an initial plan of two.

At the end of May, Spiegel magazine cited its own sources reporting that the U.S. is preparing to significantly reduce its military contributions under the “NATO Force Model.” The “NATO Force Model” is a special framework through which, according to the NATO website, partner nations’ forces are directed to carry out assigned missions. In early June, Bild newspaper reported that the U.S. plans to stop supplying the KC-46 modernized refueling aircraft and long-range reconnaissance drones to NATO.

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The U.S. Naval Central Command stated that a U.S. military helicopter made an emergency landing on the surface of the Arabian Sea, and three of the four crew members were rescued.

The incident occurred early on July 1: an MH-60S "Seahawk" helicopter aboard the USS Bush (CVN 77) made an emergency landing in the Arabian Sea.

The U.S. Naval Central Command announced on its social media platform X: "There is no indication that the emergency situation was caused by hostile action. Three of the four crew members have been rescued and are aboard the USS Bush, in stable condition."

The U.S. Naval Central Command noted that U.S. naval forces in the region are currently searching for the fourth crew member, who is currently listed as missing.

Source: sputniknews

Original: toutiao.com/article/1869553888294912/

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