NATO summit set for Ankara on July 7-8 with Iran file at top of agenda

WASHINGTON, United States — ANKARA, Türkiye — NATO leaders will place the Iran issue at the center of their upcoming summit in Ankara on July 7-8, the first such gathering since the latest military tensions between the United States and Iran, according to a draft document seen by Reuters. Leaders including U.S. President Donald Trump are expected to repeat that Iran must not acquire nuclear weapons and to demand that Tehran respect freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf. The draft summit communiqué reaffirms the alliance's commitment to Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, under which an attack on one NATO member is treated as an attack on the whole alliance, underscoring defense solidarity among the 32 members. The meeting comes against a backdrop of persistent disagreements within the alliance over defense infrastructure financing, support for Ukraine and the sharing of defense spending. Tensions between Washington and Berlin over U.S. criticism of European defense budgets are also expected to feature, with Germany pledging to raise its military budget in the coming years. On Ukraine, the draft states a 70-billion-euro military aid commitment for 2026 and continued support through 2027, while noting that these figures do not amount to fresh financial commitments.