Mark Rutte said on Thursday that NATO would not become directly involved in the escalating conflict involving Iran, despite growing regional tensions and military action by Western allies, in an interview with Reuters.

Speaking as fighting intensified between Iran and its adversaries, Rutte praised strikes carried out by the United States and Israel against Iranian targets but stressed that the NATO alliance itself had no plans to join the conflict militarily.

His comments came as tensions surged following a U.S. attack that sank an Iranian warship near Sri Lanka, an incident that Tehran condemned and warned Washington would “bitterly regret.” The strike reportedly killed dozens of Iranian sailors and further heightened fears of a widening regional war.

The conflict has already triggered missile launches and military responses across the Middle East.

One missile headed toward Turkey was intercepted by NATO defences, underscoring the alliance’s role in regional security even as it avoids direct combat.

Rutte’s remarks highlight NATO’s attempt to support allies politically while preventing the crisis from expanding into a broader confrontation between the Western military alliance and Iran.