Iran’s Foreign Ministry pushed back Monday in Tehran, where spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei dismissed NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte’s recent allegation that Iran and Russia are working together to erode international rules. Speaking at the ministry’s weekly briefing, Baghaei argued that the alliance is blaming others for conduct it has long practiced and framed the remarks as part of a political campaign against Iran. He said the United States and other NATO members—not Iran—have a record that should be scrutinized under the UN Charter.
“Over the past year, law-breaking and violation of international law by the United States and certain other NATO members have turned into a recurring pattern,” Baghaei said, citing the US occupation of Afghanistan and what he called “crimes” committed there. He added that the United States, “as the most influential NATO member,” has been a disruptor of international peace and security, describing Rutte’s comments as a “worthless projection and accusation against Iran.”
Rutte’s charge comes as NATO governments accuse Tehran of deepening military cooperation with Moscow, including drone supplies used by Russian forces in Ukraine—claims Iran has repeatedly denied. Western capitals have responded with sanctions targeting Iranian defense entities and Russian procurement networks, arguing that cross-border arms flows violate UN and European measures. Iran counters that NATO’s interventions over the past two decades, from the Balkans to the Middle East, better illustrate why global trust in the alliance’s legal claims has eroded.
The exchange adds new friction to already strained ties between Tehran and Western governments, with NATO signaling continued vigilance over Iranian weapons transfers and Iran insisting that the alliance is trying to deflect from its own record.