NATO allies drawn into US-Iran war as Iran's retaliatory strikes hit Western bases

Overview

For six days, the United States and Israel have been bombing Iran under operations codenamed Epic Fury and Roaring Lion. Iran has struck back not just at Israel but at American bases scattered across the Persian Gulf — and in doing so, put French troops, British runways, and Turkish airspace in the crossfire. Now France has become the first major NATO ally to open its own military infrastructure to the American war effort, authorizing United States support aircraft to use the Istres air base in southern France, with the explicit condition that these planes stay out of offensive strikes on Iran.

In This Story

3 Videos

5 People

NATO allies deepen support roles without joining combat

3 Context

France opposes Iraq War but grants US airspace access (2003)

Key Indicators

Days of US-Israeli strikes on Iran

Coordinated bombing campaign began February 28, 2026, targeting leadership, nuclear facilities, and military sites

1,045+

Reported deaths in Iran

Iranian state media figure as of day five, with over 6,000 wounded

Tanker traffic through Strait of Hormuz

Iran effectively closed the strait with drones on March 2, halting roughly 20% of global crude oil transit

NATO-linked sites struck by Iranian fire

French base in Abu Dhabi, Royal Air Force Akrotiri in Cyprus, ballistic missile intercepted over Turkey, plus Gulf bases hosting Western forces

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People Involved

Emmanuel Macron

President of France (Managing France's incremental military involvement while condemning the US-Israeli offensive)

Catherine Vautrin

French Minister of the Armed Forces (Managing operational details of France's defensive deployment)

Donald Trump

President of the United States (Directing Operation Epic Fury; stated 'no time limits' on the campaign)

Mark Rutte

Secretary General of NATO (Resisting Article 5 invocation despite Iranian fire hitting NATO-linked territory)

Pete Hegseth

United States Secretary of Defense (Overseeing military operations; dismissed Article 5 speculation)

Organizations Involved

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

Military Alliance

Status: Resisting collective engagement despite Iranian fire reaching NATO territory

The 32-member military alliance faces its most acute dilemma since the 2001 invocation of Article 5 after the September 11 attacks: Iranian weapons have struck territory defended by NATO members, but the war was started by a NATO member, not directed at one.

French Armed Forces

National Military

Status: Deploying defensive assets across Mediterranean and Gulf while providing basing to US support aircraft

France maintains approximately 900 military personnel across naval and air bases in the United Arab Emirates under defense agreements dating to 1995, plus defense commitments to Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, and Iraq.

Timeline

France opens Istres base to US support aircraft
Military

France authorized US refueling aircraft to use the Istres air base in southern France, stipulating they must not participate in offensive operations against Iran. Four KC-135 tankers arrived. The move marks the first direct basing support from a major NATO ally.
Yesterday
US House also rejects war powers resolution
Legislative

The House of Representatives followed the Senate in rejecting a bipartisan measure to constrain the president's authority to continue the war without congressional authorization.
Yesterday
NATO forces intercept Iranian missile over Turkey
Military

NATO air defenses destroyed an Iranian ballistic missile inside Turkish airspace — the first instance of Iranian fire entering NATO territory. Secretary General Rutte ruled out invoking Article 5.
2 days ago
US Senate rejects war powers resolution on Iran
Legislative

The Senate voted 47-53 against a resolution to halt Trump's Iran strikes without congressional authorization. Only one Republican, Rand Paul, supported the measure.
2 days ago
Macron addresses the nation, deploys carrier group
Military

Macron condemned the US-Israeli strikes as outside international law but said Iran bore "primary responsibility" for the war. He ordered the Charles de Gaulle carrier to the Mediterranean, deployed air defenses to Cyprus, and began evacuating French nationals.
3 days ago
Iranian drone strikes Royal Air Force base in Cyprus
Military

A Shahed-type drone struck the runway at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, prompting a partial evacuation. The United Kingdom said it was "not at war" despite the attack.
4 days ago
Iran closes the Strait of Hormuz
Economic

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps confirmed it had closed the strait using drones, halting roughly 20% of global crude oil transit. Tanker traffic dropped to near zero.
4 days ago
Iranian drones strike French base in Abu Dhabi
Military

Two Iranian drones hit a warehouse at Camp de la Paix, the French military facility in Abu Dhabi. The strike caused a fire but no casualties, making it the first direct Iranian attack on French forces.
5 days ago
France, Germany, UK issue joint statement condemning Iranian strikes
Diplomacy

The three European powers condemned Iran's "indiscriminate" attacks on countries in the region.
5 days ago
US and Israel launch strikes on Iran
Military

Operation Epic Fury (US) and Operation Roaring Lion (Israel) began with coordinated strikes on Tehran, Isfahan, Qom, and other cities. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in an airstrike on his compound.
6 days ago • 02:30 EST
Iran retaliates with missiles and drones across the Gulf
Military

Iran launched missiles and drones at Israel and US military bases in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, and Iraq. Airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Kuwait were struck.
6 days ago
Iran's foreign minister says deal 'within reach'
Diplomacy

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said a "historic" agreement to avert conflict was possible ahead of Geneva talks.
February 25th, 2026
Trump issues 10-day ultimatum to Iran
Diplomacy

President Trump gave Iran a 10-day deadline to reach a deal on its nuclear program or face military attack.
February 20th, 2026

Scenarios

NATO allies deepen support roles without joining combat

Discussed by: CNBC analysis and European defense policy commentators

European allies continue expanding logistical, defensive, and basing support to the United States while maintaining the legal distinction that they are not combatants. France's 'service station, not a fighter jet' framing becomes the template. Other NATO members with Gulf bases or regional assets follow suit. The line holds as long as Iran does not escalate attacks specifically targeting European homelands, but each new defensive deployment narrows the gap between support and participation.

Iran targets European infrastructure, triggering Article 5 debate

Discussed by: Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Al Jazeera analysts, NATO watchers

Iran escalates attacks against NATO-linked targets — a direct strike on Cyprus that kills European service members, or a sustained campaign against Gulf bases hosting French or British troops. Pressure mounts to invoke Article 4 consultations or Article 5 mutual defense. The complication: Article 5 was designed for defensive wars, not situations where an ally initiated hostilities. Internal NATO disagreement over whether the clause applies could fracture the alliance.

France leads European coalition to reopen Strait of Hormuz

Discussed by: Macron in his March 3 address, European energy policy analysts

With the Strait of Hormuz closed and European energy markets under severe stress, Macron's stated willingness to pursue a military operation to reopen the waterway becomes operational. A European-led naval coalition, possibly including the UK, forms independently of Operation Epic Fury with a narrow maritime security mandate. This would represent the largest independent European military operation in decades and could put European forces in direct confrontation with Iranian naval assets.

European backlash forces governments to withdraw support

Discussed by: Al Jazeera reporting on European public opinion, antiwar movements

Public opposition to any involvement in a war that European leaders themselves have called illegal intensifies. Macron's dual posture — condemning the strikes while enabling them — becomes politically untenable. Governments pull back basing access and defensive deployments, leaving the US more isolated but reducing the risk of European entanglement. This would mirror aspects of the 2003 Iraq War, when French and German opposition to US policy defined transatlantic relations for years.

Historical Context

France opposes Iraq War but grants US airspace access (2003)

March 2003

What Happened

France, under President Jacques Chirac, led international opposition to the US invasion of Iraq, with Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin delivering a famous speech at the United Nations Security Council. Despite the political rupture, France still granted the US military access to French airspace for overflights. Turkey, by contrast, refused to allow US ground forces to stage from its territory, forcing a last-minute rewrite of invasion plans.

Outcome

Short Term

France's opposition defined transatlantic relations for years. 'Freedom fries' entered the American lexicon. The US invaded Iraq without a UN mandate and without France.

Long Term

France's stance was largely vindicated as the Iraq War's justifications collapsed, but the episode demonstrated that even strong political opposition didn't translate into a complete severance of military cooperation.

Why It's Relevant Today

France's 2026 posture inverts the 2003 pattern: this time Paris is publicly condemning the war while providing more active military support, not less. The contrast reveals how Iran's direct attacks on French forces have shifted the calculus from political opposition toward defensive necessity.

France joins Gulf War coalition under Operation Daguet (1991)

January-February 1991

What Happened

France deployed roughly 20,000 troops, 14 ships, 75 aircraft, and 350 tanks to the US-led coalition to liberate Kuwait from Iraqi occupation. The French contingent, operating under the codename Daguet, captured the Al-Salman airfield 150 kilometers inside Iraqi territory within 48 hours.

Outcome

Short Term

France suffered no combat aircraft losses and accomplished its ground objectives rapidly. The operation reinforced France's standing as a capable military partner.

Long Term

The 1991 deployment set the template for French defense agreements with Gulf states — the Abu Dhabi base that was struck by Iranian drones in 2026 traces directly to defense cooperation formalized after the Gulf War.

Why It's Relevant Today

France's Gulf War participation established the defense agreements and permanent military presence now pulling it into the 2026 conflict. The base infrastructure Iran targeted exists because of commitments made 35 years ago.

NATO invokes Article 5 after September 11 attacks (2001)

September 2001

What Happened

One day after the September 11 attacks killed nearly 3,000 people, NATO invoked Article 5 — its mutual defense clause — for the first and only time in the alliance's history. All 19 members at the time agreed the attacks on the United States constituted an attack on all.

Outcome

Short Term

NATO deployed surveillance aircraft over the US and launched naval operations in the Mediterranean. Individual allies joined the US invasion of Afghanistan.

Long Term

The invocation set the only precedent for Article 5 in practice, but critics later argued the broad interpretation contributed to a 20-year war in Afghanistan that most allies grew reluctant to sustain.

Why It's Relevant Today

The 2001 precedent is precisely what makes the 2026 situation awkward for NATO. Article 5 was triggered when a member was attacked. In 2026, a member started the war and adversary retaliation is hitting allied territory — a scenario the treaty's drafters never anticipated.