The new attacks by the US on Iran were "absolutely necessary," NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Wednesday.
"When you have a ceasefire and Iran is basically violating the ceasefire, I think it is totally crucial that the US forcefully react," Rutte told reporters before a summit of NATO leaders in Ankara.
On Tuesday night, US forces began "a series of powerful strikes against Iran to impose heavy costs for targeting and attacking commercial shipping crewed by innocent civilians in an international waterway," according to US Central Command (CENTCOM).
In response, Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) confirmed it targeted US military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait in response to the US strikes in southern Iran that targeted air defense systems, coastal surveillance, and missile and drone launch sites.
When asked about the strikes, Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten stressed the importance of showing Iran that breaches of the "fragile" ceasefire in the Middle East will not be accepted.
"At the same time, you must apply maximum diplomatic pressure to make sure talks continue, and a solution is reached," he said.
Breaches of ceasefire must be met with force until diplomatic pressures prevail
Senior diplomatic advisor to the president of the UAE, Dr. Anwar Gargash, released a statement on X/Twitter, saying, "The Iranian attacks on Qatari and Saudi commercial tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, and the repeated aggression against the two sisterly nations of Bahrain and Kuwait, are a clear indication that Tehran is still unable to commit to the requirements of de-escalation and turning the page on war.
"The Arab Gulf states cannot remain a target for Iran's hesitation between the logic of escalation and the path of rationality, stability, and peace."
Kuwait's Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement on X, condemning Iran's actions with its "strongest denunciation of the repeated heinous Iranian aggressions against the State of Kuwait."
The ministry affirmed that "continuation of these brazen aggressions, at a time when regional and international efforts aimed at de-escalation are underway, constitutes a systematic undermining of efforts to reduce tensions and strikes at the supporting international will for this path," while emphasizing that Kuwait maintains the right to take all necessary measures to preserve its sovereignty and security.
Reuters and Esther Davis contributed to this report.