Europe Divided Over Response to US-Israel Action Against Iran

Athens, Greece – Iran has warned European leaders against joining the United States and Israel’s war that has destabilized the Middle East and upended economies around the world. Whereas countries in Europe have found common ground in condemning Iran’s retaliatory strikes, their positions have been fractured in reaction to the US-Israeli action that prompted 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 used in a drone strike on Cyprus, an EU member, has not been enough to rally Europeans against Iran as effectively as they have against Russia.

Diverging National Positions

Europe is exhibiting two extremes in its response. Spain has evicted US military aircraft from its bases, leading to a sharp rebuke from US President Donald Trump, who threatened to “cut off all trade” with Madrid. Conversely, Germany has expressed support for US goals.

In between these positions, the United Kingdom has allowed its military base at Akrotiri on Cyprus to be used by US aircraft for purely defensive purposes.

“The mullah regime is a terrorist regime responsible for decades of oppression of the Iranian people,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said, signaling alignment with the US and Israel. “We share the interest of the United States and Israel in seeing an end to this regime’s terror and its dangerous nuclear and ballistic armament.”

Germany’s position represents a break from its previous alignment with the UK and France, who had backed negotiations with Tehran even after Trump unilaterally revoked the 2015 nuclear deal.

Principles and Consistency

Spain’s position is rooted in principle, according to Jose-Ignacio Torreblanca, a distinguished policy fellow with the European Council on Foreign Relations. “The Spanish government has been consistently calling for the respect of international law both in Ukraine and in Gaza, and now in Iran,” Torreblanca stated, referring to Russia’s war in Ukraine, Israeli actions in Gaza, and the strikes on Iran that lack a United Nations Security Council sanction.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has asserted that the military operation is not covered by international law. While British Prime Minister Keir Starmer initially hesitated to authorize US use of the Diego Garcia base, he now supports the strikes, Spain is maintaining consistency.

Starmer clarified that the use of Akrotiri was strictly defensive: “The only way to stop the threat is to destroy the [Iranian] missiles at source… We have taken the decision to accept this request to prevent Iran from firing missiles across the region. … That is in accordance with international law.”

Collective Defence and EU Treaty

The question of invoking NATO’s Article 5 for collective defence has arisen. Ukraine, invited to develop into a future EU member, has applauded the disruption of Russia’s supply of Shahed drones and is planning to assist in intercepting them.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has advocated for containment, de-escalation, and a halt to Iran’s nuclear and ballistic programs, as well as its destabilizing activities.

European nations are increasingly focusing on defensive action. Greece dispatched four F-16 Viper fighter aircraft and two frigates to help defend Cyprus from potential further drone attacks. The frigate Kimon, recently delivered from French shipyards, carries advanced radar and targeting systems.

France announced it would send antimissile and antidrone systems to Cyprus, and Britain followed by sending a warship to defend its base there.

These operations are significant as the US withdraws from Europe and the continent seeks to bolster its own defence capabilities.

Elena Lazarou, director general of the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy, explained that Cyprus, as an EU member but not a NATO member, cannot invoke Article 5. However, it could invoke Article 42.7 of the European Union Treaty, which has not yet been done.

Von der Leyen has called for bringing Europe’s mutual defence clause to life, stating that mutual defence is not optional but an obligation within the EU treaty.