Politico: US Military Operations in Iran Expose NATO's Unpreparedness for Conflict with Russia

Military operations in Iran, launched by the US without NATO’s involvement, have nevertheless exposed the alliance’s weaknesses and shown that it is unprepared for a hypothetical military confrontation with Russia, Politico reported on Monday, citing interviews with military experts, diplomats, and former and current NATO officials.

The alliance’s first vulnerability is its limited capacity to produce ammunition quickly and on a large scale, an issue that, according to an anonymous source, will be discussed at the NATO summit in July. The publication’s sources noted that the US has already used about half of its Patriot air defense missiles in the conflict with Iran. Furthermore, if Washington continues to shift its focus to the Indo-Pacific region, it may withdraw a significant portion of resources for producing air defense systems from Europe.

Another shortcoming, according to experts, is the lack of air superiority and the limited strategic impact of airstrikes. The US has been unable to deprive Iran of its ability to use missiles and drones to strike military targets in the Gulf states, despite the intensity of strikes on Iranian infrastructure. Other NATO countries would also be unable to deprive Russia of its military capabilities, as the country has no shortage of missiles or UAVs.

In addition, NATO states, particularly the United Kingdom, are facing serious challenges with their naval forces, as reflected in the limited deployment of European navies in the Persian Gulf amid hostilities in Iran. Without large, well-equipped fleets, the alliance is unable to counter the capabilities of the Russian Navy’s submarine forces and Kalibr missiles, Sidharth Kaushal, an expert at the British Royal United Services Institute, told Politico.

Another clear weakness is the rift between the US and its allies, which emerged after European leaders refused to support Washington’s actions in Iran. Sources cited by the publication say NATO fears this could lead the US administration to refrain from intervening in the event of an open conflict between Europe and Russia.

Additionally, two NATO diplomats told Politico that the alliance is not doing enough to build industrial ties with Ukraine.

The United States and Israel launched a military operation against Iran on February 28. On April 7, US President Donald Trump declared a two-week ceasefire with Iran. According to the Iranian side, as many as 3,375 people died in the US-Israeli attacks on Iran over 40 days of the war. On April 11, Iran and the US held several rounds of talks in Islamabad, however both sides later reported that they were unable to reach an agreement on a long-term settlement of the conflict due to a number of contradictions. On April 21, US President Donald Trump announced his intention to extend the ceasefire with Iran. Meanwhile, according to the Iranian state television, Tehran does not recognize Washington’s unilateral ceasefire extension and will act as it deems necessary in its interests.