Major European powers align with Trump on Iran

BrusselsThe three major European powers—Germany, the United Kingdom, and France—have closed ranks with the United States and Israel on Iran, and have made it clear they are open to becoming involved in the conflict should they deem it necessary. In a statement, they announced their agreement to "work together with the US and its allies in the region," and warned Iran that they are prepared to intervene to "defend" their "interests and allies." Following this warning, the conflict reached European Union territory early this morning when the British military intercepted two Iranian drones targeting the UK military base in Akrotiri, Cyprus, an EU member state.

Both the United Kingdom and Cyprus moved to de-escalate tensions, downplaying the Iranian drone attack and emphasizing that the impact of the airstrike was limited. Similarly, the other EU member states and EU leaders themselves have defended Cyprus and the security of the European bloc, but in no case have they threatened Tehran. For example, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, asserted that the attack caused "minor damage" and that "Cyprus was not the target" of Iran. However, like the vast majority of European leaders, she expressed her "firm and unequivocal" support for the island of Cyprus.

This tone is much calmer than that of Germany, France, and the United Kingdom in the joint statement agreed upon separately from the European Union. The three countries described the actions as "indiscriminate and disproportionate." Iranian missile attacks on several countries in the region They criticize the ayatollahs' regime for escalating the conflict. Furthermore, the European powers, key allies of Tel Aviv, warn that the Iranian regime's "reckless attacks have targeted its allies" and threaten the safety of its military and civilian personnel throughout the region. The joint statement agreed upon by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and French President Emmanuel Macron calls on Iran to "immediately" halt these attacks. Otherwise, the three major European powers warn that they are prepared to intervene "potentially with necessary and proportionate defensive action to destroy Iran's ability to launch missiles and drones."

In fact, the drone attack on the British military base on the island of Cyprus came just after this statement. Furthermore, the UK is the European power that has gone furthest in supporting the US and Israel in the war against Iran, and the British Prime Minister has announced a more active participation of the UK armed forces and said he has given permission to US aircraft to use some of its military bases to attack Iranian territory.

For this reason, the Cypriot government spokesman, Konstantinos Letymbiosistis, lamented on Monday that the UK is not giving "a clear guarantee" if some of its bases in Cyprus are used by the US and Israeli militaries to attack Iran. In any case, and given the Iranian drone attack, Greece has already announced that it is sending two warships and two fighter jets to the island of Cyprus.

The EU is fracturing

The statement from the United Kingdom, France, and Germany contrasts sharply with the position agreed upon by all member states of the European Union that same weekend. The text agreed upon by the bloc called for caution to prevent "events leading to a further escalation" of the conflict "with unpredictable consequences," including for the security of Europe. In fact, the German Chancellor publicly criticized some member states for their reluctance to intervene, as Berlin, London, and Paris warned in their separate statement. However, the European bloc also avoids condemning—or even mentioning—the attacks by the United States and Israel against Iranian territory, and fails to reiterate the obligation of all parties—which could be seen as a wake-up call to the White House—to comply with international law, which increasingly seems to have become merely a theoretical exercise. "We will continue to contribute to all diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions and achieve a lasting solution that prevents Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon," the statement agreed upon by the member states simply states.

Spain has once again taken the strongest stance against the intervention of the Trump and Netanyahu administrations. Pedro Sánchez has been the only leader in the European bloc to openly criticize it, asserting that it represents an "escalation of the conflict" and, once again, a violation of international law. "We cannot afford another prolonged and devastating war in the Middle East. We call for an immediate de-escalation and full respect for international law," the Socialist leader declared. Sánchez's position, though a minority one within the European Union, along with that of other European partners, prevented the virtual meeting of EU foreign ministers held this Sunday from issuing a statement along the lines desired by Germany, the United Kingdom, and France. In fact, although they have not expressed it with the same forcefulness as Spain, other member states are also uncomfortable with the warning from the three major European powers, which opens the door to direct involvement, and advocate for a more moderate approach.

In this regard, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has published a message on Twitter in which she also omitted the attacks by the US and Israel, and advocated for "de-escalation" and "halting the spread of the conflict." The head of the EU executive also stated that the European Union "must be prepared for the consequences of recent events" and, therefore, has convened a meeting on security for the commissioners who make up the EU executive. Conversely, a ministerial meeting of EU member states that was scheduled for Monday and Tuesday in Cyprus has been postponed for security reasons following the explosions at the British base in Akrotiri.