NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte will travel to Washington next week for talks with US President Donald Trump, the alliance confirmed on Friday, as tensions continue to rise over the escalating conflict with Iran. The visit comes at a moment of deep strain between Washington and its European allies, with Trump openly criticising NATO governments over their handling of the war. 

The US president has repeatedly suggested he is weighing whether to pull the United States out of the 77-year-old alliance, accusing European members of restricting American military access to bases and refusing to take the lead in reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

High-level meetings set in Washington

NATO said Rutte will meet Trump on 8 April, followed by separate discussions with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth. The alliance chief is also scheduled to deliver remarks on 9 April at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute.

Rutte, who previously served as prime minister of the Netherlands, has earned the nickname “Trump whisperer” for his ability to maintain a working relationship with the US leader through several diplomatic confrontations since Trump returned to office last year.

Despite the mounting friction, Rutte has maintained that Trump has strengthened NATO by pressuring European countries into raising defence spending.

Iran conflict fuels global instability

The Iran war, now entering its sixth week, continues to send shockwaves through global markets. Iranian forces have intensified attacks on energy infrastructure across the Gulf in retaliation for US and Israeli strikes, tightening their hold over oil and gas routes moving through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.

Trump has vowed further military action, saying US forces will continue to strike Iran “very hard” over the next “two or three weeks”.

Israel launches new strikes in region

Amid escalating regional hostilities, the Israeli military announced on Friday that it had carried out a new series of attacks in both Tehran and Beirut. “In addition to the strikes in Beirut, the IDF has begun a wide-scale wave of strikes targeting infrastructure of the Iranian regime in Tehran,” the Israel Defense Forces said.

(With inputs from agencies)