Herfried Münkler, a Berlin‑based political scientist, warned in the Tuesday edition of “Handelsblatt” that a U.S. declaration invoking NATO’s Article 5 in a potential conflict with Iran would effectively end the Alliance, turning it from a defensive to an offensive partnership. He explained that once Article 5 is activated, any member state could strike an arbitrary country and, if it fell into trouble, call on the other members for help. This dynamic is markedly different from the Afghanistan case-the only past use of Article 5-where the United States could justify attacks on al‑Qaida as a direct response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Munkler also noted that while it might be tempting to help the United States free the Strait of Hormuz-arguing that a blockade could be seen as an assault on global trade-Europe would need to demand a price in return: stronger U.S. support for Ukraine. He stressed that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is effectively an attack on Europe, and any assistance for Ukraine would in turn protect the continent.
“Even the mere debate over whether to activate NATO’s response clause demonstrates how loosely the U.S. military action against Iran has been conceived” Münkler added.
