The NATO summit that closed in Ankara on July 8 produced a declaration of deepening confrontation and, within hours, a live test of it, as the United States resumed strikes on Iran.
The Ankara Summit Declaration reaffirmed Article 5, touted “more than $50 billion in new procurements” under the alliance’s Hague spending pledge, and committed €70 billion in arms, aid, and training to Ukraine for 2026, with “at least equivalent” sums promised for 2027. It also declared that “Iran must never have a nuclear weapon” and demanded Iran “fully respect freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.” Asked at his closing press conference what NATO would do if U.S.-Iran talks fail, Secretary-General Mark Rutte went past the text: “Iran is outside NATO territory, [but] that doesn’t mean that NATO could never get involved… NATO is always willing to play a role"—an unmistakable opening toward alliance action against Iran.
