After Iran’s warning, Europe fails to unite on war launched by US, Israel
Al Jazeera
The bloc is split over how to respond, but some EU members are rallying around the concept of mutual defence.
Athens, Greece – Iran has warned European leaders against joining the United States and Israel’s war that has destabilised the Middle East and upended economies around the world.
While countries in Europe have found common ground in condemning Iran’s retaliatory strikes on nonbelligerents in the Gulf, their positions have been confused and incoherent in reaction to the US-Israeli action that caused them.
The fact that Iran is a close ally of Russia, against whose war in Ukraine almost all members of the European Union are united in condemning and containing, and that a Russian antenna was reportedly found on Sunday to have been used in a drone that struck Cyprus, an EU member, has not been enough to rally Europeans against Iran as effectively as they have rallied against Russia.
There are two extremes at play. Spain has evicted US military aircraft from its bases, leading to a sharp rebuke from US President Donald Trump, who on Tuesday threatened to “cut off all trade” with Madrid. Meanwhile, Germany has decided to welcome US goals.
In between the two, the United Kingdom has allowed its military base at Akrotiri on Cyprus to be used by US aircraft for purely defensive purposes.
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