By Robbie Gramer
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte visited Washington on Wednesday in a high-stakes diplomatic mission to soothe tensions with the U.S. after President Trump railed against the alliance for not helping more in the war on Iran.
Rutte met Wednesday morning with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. He is expected to meet with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Trump later in the day. Trump on Monday said the fact that some European countries wouldn't step up more to aid the U.S. during the war is "a mark on NATO that will never disappear."
Spain closed its airspace to U.S. planes involved in the Iran operation, but other allies, including the U.K., have stepped up to assist the U.S. military campaign, including flying defensive missions to shoot down drones and missiles over the Gulf and allowing U.S. warplanes and ships to re-arm and refuel at their bases.
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(END) Dow Jones Newswires
April 08, 2026 12:06 ET (16:06 GMT)
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