NATO leaders and their guests gather for a group photo at the defense alliance’s summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. Photo: Reuters/Ludovic Marin

The NATO defense alliance issued a stern condemnation of Iran on Tuesday, calling on the Tehran regime to curb its nuclear activities and end its military support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

In their final declaration following the summit of the 31-member alliance in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius, NATO leaders said they remained clear in their “determination that Iran must never develop a nuclear weapon.”

The statement underlined that NATO continues to be “deeply concerned about Iran’s escalation of its nuclear program. We call on Iran to fulfill its legal obligations under its Non-Proliferation Treaty-required safeguards agreement and political commitments regarding nuclear non-proliferation without further delay.”

The statement separately noted that “Iran’s support to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine has an impact on Euro-Atlantic security.” The alliance called on Iran to “cease its military support to Russia, in particular its transfer of Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) which have been used to attack critical infrastructure, causing widespread civilian casualties.”

Additionally, the statement addressed Iran’s attempts to silence dissidents living in NATO member states. The US, the UK and Germany have all foiled recent Iranian efforts to assassinate leading critics of the regime, among them the former US National Security Adviser, John Bolton, and a vocal Iranian opposition activist, Masih Alinejad, both of whom are based in the US.

“We express our serious concern over Iran’s malicious activities within Allied territory,” the statement declared. “We also call upon Iran to refrain from destabilizing actions, including seizures of maritime vessels, and to play a constructive role in fostering regional stability and peace.”

The statement described the Middle East as a region of “strategic interest,” noting the range of cooperative projects with various Arab countries. These include “Defense Capacity Building” packages for Iraq, Jordan, Mauritania and Tunisia, the potential opening of a NATO liaison office in the Jordanian capital Amman, and the provision of additional aid to Iraq’s police force.

The summit was dominated by Ukrainian frustration at NATO’s refusal to grant the democratic government in Kyiv immediate membership of the alliance. Neither would NATO leaders set a timeframe for Ukraine’s accession, causing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to charge that the alliance showed “no readiness.”

“A window of opportunity is being left to bargain Ukraine’s membership in Nato in negotiations with Russia. Uncertainty is weakness,” Zelensky tweeted.

At the same time, the alliance welcomed its newest member as Turkey dropped its opposition to Sweden’s accession after accusing Stockholm of harboring Kurdish militants.