Europe’s military and political alliance NATO warned that it is ready to defend every member state as concerns grow over reports that Tehran examined possible attacks on American military facilities in Europe if Washington orders another major escalation of the war.
The warning comes at potentially critical moment for Europe, where governments tried to keep their distance from US-Israeli military campaign against Iran while continuing to provide varying levels of logistical and defensive assistance to Washington.
NATO official said the alliance would confront any threat to its members and take whatever measures were considered necessary to protect them.
Pointing to previous incidents involving Iranian ballistic missiles aimed at Turkey, the official said NATO air-defence systems had successfully intercepted missiles on four occasions earlier this year. The incidents, the official argued, demonstrated that NATO retains a strong deterrence and defence capability.
The statement followed report by British media which said Tehran examined possible retaliation against American interests in Europe in the event of further U.S. military escalation. According to FT report, Iranian military planners have considered potential operations against U.S. military facilities in southeastern Europe, with American installations in Bulgaria reportedly among the locations examined.
Cyprus was also reportedly considered as a possible target, raising fears that the consequences of the Iran conflict could extend far beyond the Middle East.
It further mentioned that Iranian authorities looked at possible ways to disrupt undersea fiber-optic cables passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Such infrastructure carries large volumes of international communications and data, meaning serious disruption could have consequences well beyond the immediate battlefield.
Iranian sources reportedly indicated that the nature and scale of any retaliation would depend on the next steps taken by Washington. However, there is an important caveat: the reported options have not been confirmed as implemented, and the report does not establish that Iran has made a final decision to attack U.S. assets in Europe.
The reports have placed European governments in an increasingly uncomfortable position. Since the U.S.-Israeli campaign began in late February 2026, European governments have largely avoided presenting the conflict as a European war. Washington and Jerusalem launched major strikes against Iran with the stated objective of weakening its nuclear and missile capabilities and increasing pressure on Tehran.
The campaign included strikes that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, dramatically raising the stakes of the confrontation. Most European governments said they were not consulted before the initial attacks and emphasized that their military forces had not participated in the opening strikes.
But Europe’s response has been far from uniform. Spain emerged as one of the most outspoken critics. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez condemned the military campaign, while Madrid restricted U.S. use of Spanish bases and airspace for operations linked to the conflict.
France took a more complicated position. President Emmanuel Macron questioned the proportionality and legality of aspects of the campaign while also condemning Iranian retaliation. Paris remained prepared to consider limited defensive assistance for partners but resisted deeper participation in offensive operations.
Britain and Germany, together with France as the E3, said they were not involved in the initial attacks. Their positions later became somewhat more supportive of defensive and logistical measures, particularly those aimed at countering Iranian drones and missiles.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz was comparatively more supportive of the strategic goal of preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Poland offered stronger political backing for Washington, while senior EU officials Ursula von der Leyen and Kaja Kallas called for a different political path in Iran but continued to emphasize caution and the need to prevent further escalation.
For many European leaders, the central concern has been stopping the conflict from spreading.
Governments across Europe have repeatedly emphasized diplomacy and de-escalation, while resisting the idea that NATO should automatically become a combat participant. Article 5 of the NATO treaty is intended to provide collective defence to alliance members following an armed attack. It does not automatically require NATO countries to join every war involving one of their members.
President Donald Trump and other U.S. officials have criticized European governments for what they consider insufficient alliance assistance, particularly regarding military bases, airspace and efforts to protect shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
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