TEHRAN- The Islamic Rpublic has condemned NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte's acknowledgment of European involvement in the U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran, calling it a clear and damning admission of the alliance's active complicity in an unlawful war of aggression.

Rutte's remarks, made during a Fox News interview on Wednesday, directly contradicted previous denials from European capitals. He stated that Italy allowed 500 U.S. military aircraft to operate from American bases on its soil during the 40-day bombing campaign. He also named Romania as a key supporter that had restricted commercial air traffic to accommodate U.S. military operations.

The war, which began on February 28, 2026, has had a devastating impact on Iran. According to official reports, the U.S.-Israeli strikes resulted in the deaths of at least 3,375 Iranians and injured approximately 21,000 civilians. The attacks targeted civilian infrastructure across the country, including the cities of Tehran, Isfahan, Shiraz, Tabriz, and Bandar Abbas, with nearly 150,000 civilian facilities including schools, hospitals, and residential buildings being damaged or destroyed. In the city of Minab, a strike on a girls' school on the first day of the war killed 168 children, marking the single deadliest U.S. attack since the 1991 Persian Gulf War.

Iranian officials were quick to react to Rutte's admission. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei wrote on X that the NATO chief's comments are a "flagrant violation of peremptory norms of international law and the core principles of the UN Charter". He emphasized that both NATO and its individual member states "must be held accountable for all the consequences".

The Iranian Embassy in Italy further called on Rome and Bucharest to explain to their citizens and the world why they "chose to become accomplices to aggressors" in the commission of mass atrocities against the Iranian people. Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi also cited UN General Assembly Resolution 3314, noting that allowing a state to use another country's territory to carry out aggression constitutes an act of aggression in itself.

Despite Rutte's clear statements, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni pushed back during a Franco-Italian summit on Thursday. She dismissed Rutte's account as "oversimplified," claiming he confused authorized flights and that Italy did not participate in the war against Iran.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani also stated that "Italy has never taken part in any military initiative and has never authorized the use of its bases for war actions against Iran," while simultaneously urging Tehran to loosen control over the Strait of Hormuz. Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto attempted to downplay the significance of the flights, claiming the number of transits during the war was lower than in previous years. Despite these remarks, Iran's top diplomat Abbas Araghchi has insisted that Italy must issue an explicit and official denial rather than a qualified clarification.

Another European country that appears to have assisted the U.S.-Israeli aggression against Iran is the UK. While London has publicly claimed the Iran war is "not our war," evidence suggests far deeper involvement. British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer authorized U.S. use of British military bases on March 1, 2026, for "defensive purposes."

RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire has become the principal forward base for U.S. strategic bombers in Europe, hosting approximately 15 B-1Bs and six B-52s routinely loaded with deep strike munitions indicative of offensive, not defensive, operations. A former RAF squadron leader stated in remarks to independent media that it is "glaringly obvious" these are offensive strikes on Iran.

The apparent complicity of these European states carries severe legal consequences.

Under the UN Charter, using force against another country's territory is illegal. The U.S. campaign is an act of aggression, and under international law on state responsibility, countries that knowingly help another state commit a wrongful act are themselves legally responsible.

If their involvement in Washington's war is proven, Italy, the UK, and Romania must immediately halt their support, face prosecution for their potential war crimes, and pay reparations to Iran.