Rutte Comments on Trump's Disappointment with European NATO Allies

The United States has carried out new strikes against Iran following attacks on merchant ships near the Strait of Hormuz. According to the US Central Command (CENTCOM), the strikes targeted Iranian air defense systems, drone launchers, and other military objectives. This came after Iranian forces attacked three tankers, including the Qatari LNG tanker Al Rekayyat, in the Strait of Hormuz on July 7.

On July 8, Iran retaliated by striking over 80 US facilities in Gulf countries. These events occurred as Iran was holding a farewell ceremony for its late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

US President Donald Trump, attending the NATO summit in Ankara, strongly condemned Iran's actions. "They are sick. Something is wrong with them. We said: go and attend your funeral matters. But instead, they started firing missiles at ships yesterday. So last night we hit them very hard. Very hard. I would say 20 times harder than they did," Trump stated.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte quickly voiced support for the US actions, saying they were absolutely necessary given that Iran had effectively violated the ceasefire. Rutte also addressed Trump's disappointment with European NATO allies. "We know there is disappointment from the US side regarding individual cases related to Iran. At the same time, we see up to 5,000 sorties from European bases. This is in line with all bilateral troop deployment agreements. Europe acts as one big platform for US power projection," Rutte explained.

However, Trump's mood did not improve. He commented on the three-week-old ceasefire with Iran: "I think it's over. I don't want to deal with them anymore. They are scum. You know what scum is? That's what they are. They are sick people. They are led by sick people. And they are evil, cruel people. If they had nuclear weapons, they would use them. In my opinion, it's over."

Meanwhile, the price of Brent crude oil began to rise, reaching $78.77 per barrel by noon.