NATO should prioritize improving ties with Middle East states

Former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has only been in his new role as the secretary-general of NATO for a few weeks, but already his inbox is full. Russia’s war against Ukraine has been dragging on for almost three years and the geopolitical situation in Europe has been complicated by reports of North Korean soldiers possibly being sent there. There is a lot of uncertainty regarding America’s role in the transatlantic community after the US elections next month. And even after all the rhetoric, promises and proclamations made by European politicians, Europe still does not collectively spend enough on its defense.

However, one issue that cannot be ignored by NATO is the volatility and instability across parts of the Middle East. As is often the case, many of the geopolitical challenges experienced in the Middle East also impact Europe. In recent decades, European countries have been actors in the region in multiple conflicts, ranging from Iraq to Syria and naval security missions in the Gulf.

Under the leadership of Rutte’s predecessor, Jens Stoltenberg, NATO took steps to bolster its engagement in the Middle East. Stoltenberg became the first secretary-general to conduct a bilateral visit to Saudi Arabia. Some hope that this will prove to be the beginning of a process that leads to a deepening of relations between NATO and the Kingdom.

Also under his leadership, NATO reestablished its training mission in Iraq in 2017 and established an office in Kuwait to improve relations with the Gulf. Over the summer, it was announced that NATO was going to open a liaison office in Jordan. This year, the alliance marks the 20th anniversary of the creation of the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative, which serves as the main platform on which it engages with countries in the Gulf region, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE. Finally, Stoltenberg initiated a study on NATO’s engagement with the Global South. The final product included a sizable section on what NATO can do to improve relations with countries in the Middle East.

As is often the case, many of the geopolitical challenges experienced in the Middle East also impact Europe. 

Luke Coffey

So, the best thing that the new secretary-general can do is to build on the progress already made and pick up where his predecessor left off. As one of the Netherlands’ longest-serving prime ministers, Rutte unsurprisingly has a lot of experience in the Middle East. He has visited the region numerous times and, during his tenure as PM, Dutch forces contributed to multiple security operations, including counter-Daesh and training missions in Iraq.

As Rutte develops his approach to NATO engagement with the Middle East, he should focus on three main issues.

The first issue should be deepening the alliance’s relations with the countries of the Middle East beyond those already participating in the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative. There is a NATO Summit planned for Turkiye in 2026. The alliance should lay the groundwork between now and then to deepen relationships with countries in the region and invite more partners to formally join the initiative. At the summit in Turkiye, there should be a NATO-Istanbul Cooperation Initiative meeting at the heads of state and government level to highlight the importance of this relationship. As part of this effort, Rutte should pay an early visit to the Middle East, including to Saudi Arabia.

Secondly, he needs to work closely with Baghdad to determine what the future NATO-Iraqi security relationship will look like. In addition to the alliance’s training mission in Iraq, relations between the two have been deepening in recent years. Iraqi National Security Adviser Qasim Al-Araji visited NATO in August to discuss improving relations and the ongoing and future NATO training mission in the country. As the US and Iraq continue their negotiations over the future of their bilateral security relationship, it is important that NATO continues to develop relations with Baghdad.

Finally, NATO should find practical ways to work with countries in the Middle East by focusing on issues that have immediate applicability to the current geopolitical situation and are mutually beneficial.

It is in everyone’s interest in the region that there is a missile defense architecture that can ensure security. 

Luke Coffey

In this sense, there are two issues that should get priority attention. One is improving maritime security in the region. For more than two decades, European countries have worked closely with Gulf states in conducting joint maritime security operations. Sometimes these have been counterpiracy operations off the Horn of Africa, while other missions have focused on maritime security inside the Gulf. With the threat posed by the Houthis to international shipping, it is clear that there is still a need for joint maritime security cooperation between NATO and regional countries.

Secondly, NATO and its partners in the Middle East should focus on improving regional missile defense. Many NATO countries have provided advanced air defense systems to Ukraine that are used against Russian missiles and Iranian drones. Lessons have been learned on how effective these systems are and how to improve them. Meanwhile, Iran and its proxies have been using an array of missiles and drones to attack various targets across the Middle East. It is in everyone’s interest in the region that there is a missile defense architecture that can ensure security. Both NATO and its partners in the Middle East can work closely to make this a reality.

It makes perfect sense that the alliance and Arab countries should deepen relations. Over the past couple of decades, NATO and Arab soldiers have served side by side on the ground in places like Afghanistan and the Balkans, in the air over the skies of Libya and on the seas off the Horn of Africa. With Europe and the Arab world sharing many of the same security concerns, it is natural for the alliance to increase its engagement in the region.

Although the largest land war in more than 80 years is taking place in Europe, this is no excuse for NATO to ignore other parts of the globe that also impact the security of the transatlantic community. The Middle East is a great example.

• Luke Coffey is a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute. X: @LukeDCoffey