NATO chief says US Iran strikes are absolutely necessary

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has publicly endorsed the latest U.S. military strikes on Iran, calling them "absolutely necessary" after what he described as Iranian violations of a fragile ceasefire agreement. Rutte made the remarks on Wednesday as NATO leaders gathered for a summit in Ankara, Turkey.

The U.S. launched a new wave of strikes against Iranian military targets overnight on Tuesday. The action followed reports that three commercial tankers, including a Qatari LNG carrier, were hit by projectiles in the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz over the previous day. Qatar accused Iran of the attack, a charge Tehran has denied. In response to the U.S. strikes, Iran retaliated by launching drones and missiles at U.S. bases in Kuwait and Bahrain.

Rutte argued the U.S. response was justified given the attacks on shipping. He stated that when a ceasefire is in place and one side violates it, a forceful reaction is crucial. The ceasefire in question is a memorandum of understanding signed in June aimed at reducing hostilities. The U.S. also revoked a license that had permitted Iran to sell oil, a move that contributed to a more than 3 percent rise in global oil prices.