NATO has said it is ready to defend all its members after reports that Iran may consider attacking US military sites in Europe if Washington further expands its campaign against Tehran, according to Arab News.
A NATO official told Arab News on Wednesday that the alliance’s air and missile defences had already shown their strength earlier this year. The systems reportedly intercepted Iranian ballistic missiles travelling towards Türkiye on four separate occasions.
“As demonstrated earlier this year … our deterrence and defence posture is strong and effective,” the official said. “NATO is prepared to address any threat and will always do what is necessary to defend all Allies.”
The statement came after a Financial Times report examined possible Iranian responses to further US military action. According to the report, Tehran may have considered attacks on American military facilities in Europe if the conflict escalates. The reported targets include US-linked sites in southeastern Europe, although the information was based on unnamed sources.
The United States operates military bases and maintains forces across Europe, including in several NATO member states. Any attack on those facilities could place Washington’s European allies under serious pressure and widen an already dangerous confrontation.
Recent reports said Iranian missiles had entered Turkish airspace, prompting NATO air-defence systems to intercept them. The alliance has also faced growing security concerns around American and allied facilities in the eastern Mediterranean.
NATO’s response was firm but carefully worded. The alliance did not confirm that Iran had made a final decision to attack any European target. Instead, its message was designed to warn that an assault on US forces in a NATO country could have consequences beyond the two countries directly involved.
For European governments, the report has added another shadow to an already tense security environment. Military bases that once seemed distant from Middle Eastern conflicts may now be viewed as possible points of danger, while NATO insists that its members will not face such threats alone.
