US and Israeli military strikes against Iran raise a number of justified concerns and risks, said Defense Minister Andris Spruds in an interview with TV3 on Wednesday.
The politician noted that Latvia, as a small state, always advocates for a system of international relations based on international norms; however, the situation in Iran raises questions about whether all actions taken there fully comply with these norms.
Spruds emphasized that Latvia consistently wants the continuation of Western support for Ukraine, and in this context, it is also about the struggle for adherence to an international order based on rules, which Russia has violated in the case of Ukraine.
The minister noted that for some time now, the attention of the USA on the international stage has not been solely focused on Europe, and it is now quite clear that US military activity will be concentrated in the Middle East. This means that Latvia and Europe will have to mobilize even more to support Ukraine.
In response to a question about what the recent rhetoric of US President Donald Trump regarding Spain and the United Kingdom, whom he criticized for insufficient support of his campaign against Iran, means, Spruds acknowledged that there are noticeable disagreements among politicians of NATO countries; however, he does not believe that NATO as a whole will become weaker.
Spruds noted that it is currently difficult to say whether developments in Iran and its retaliatory strikes against a wide range of countries could lead to the activation of Article 5 of the NATO treaty, as the leaders of the alliance countries still need to assess the seriousness of the military incidents and determine whether they can be considered an attack on the alliance.
According to the politician, the main goal of the USA right now is to destroy Iran's military resources; however, he does not see any intention on the part of the USA to escalate the conflict to the extent of deploying ground troops in Iran.
Spruds also acknowledged that the security situation in the region is deteriorating, which affects Latvian servicemen who participate in missions in Iraq, Lebanon, and Israel in small numbers. They now have to adhere to stricter security measures.
