U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a review of American military presence in Europe, citing the lack of support from NATO allies during recent strikes against Iran.
Hegseth expressed strong disapproval of allies who denied access to European bases and ports for U.S. forces engaged in operations against Iranian targets. He stated that these actions put American personnel at unnecessary risk by hindering predictable basing and overflight access.
"The United States has defended Europe for generations, and the president said, all he said was that our jets would need to take off from bases in Europe, or our ships from ports to strike targets in the Middle East, Iranian targets that threaten European interests even more directly than they threaten us," Hegseth remarked.
He further criticized allies, saying, "But too many of our allies said no or tried to drown us in arcane legal debates or criticized us publicly for doing what they aren’t prepared or able to do themselves. It was shameful."
The Department of Defense will conduct a six-month review, which could conclude sooner, to reassess America's force posture and basing arrangements in Europe in light of these concerns.
