Europe’s mixed reaction to the Iran war draws Trump’s ire from America’s allies

After a year of tariff threats, insults and diplomatic spats with European allies, President Donald Trump is left to fight a war on Iran with only Israel at his side.

“This is not Winston Churchill we’re dealing with,” Trump said on Monday after UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer refused to allow the US to use British bases as part of its first strikes, later allowing the use of its “defensive” bases.

A day later, after Spain banned US military aircraft from using military bases in Andalusia, Trump said the US would seek to “cut off all trade with Spain,” which is a member of the European Union’s single market.

France, backing Spain in its turn, also risked the wrath of the president as President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday that the strikes on Iran were “outside the framework of international law.”

Some European leaders are left with Trump’s good deeds for now. in Germany Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who sat by Trump’s side when the president spoke about Spain, appears to have stuck with Trump after he allowed the US Ramstein Air Base to be used during the conflict.

“Germany has been great,” Trump said. “They allow us to stay in certain areas, and we appreciate that.”

The Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera reported on Sunday that Trump has praised the country’s Prime Minister, Giorgio Meloni, who said that Italy will respect existing agreements regarding the use of bases. In a phone interview, Trump called him a “great leader” who “always tries to help.”

White House press secretary Caroline Leavitt said Wednesday that Trump expects “all of our European allies to cooperate on this long-sought mission,” saying Iran “threatens our European allies as well.”

While European allies have played a key role in past military interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq, the US has fought without its allies before, with Western Europe largely refusing to send any troops to Vietnam, although other countries have offered some support.

The continent’s cautious reaction to the Iran war, and Trump’s broader threats, have fueled fears that the diplomatic rift could spill over into another trade conflict, but one expert played down the tensions between the trans-Atlantic partners.

“We should not be fooled into believing that European governments are not really supporting the United States in Iran,” said Fawaz Gerges, a professor of international relations at the London School of Economics.

“We should not focus on the rhetoric of European leaders,” he added. “We must focus on their actions and their deployment of naval and air power in support of providing further direct or indirect support for the US-Israeli war in Iran.”

European Union Foreign Policy chief Kaja Kallas he said on Friday that the change in Washington’s foreign policy had “shaken the Atlantic relationship to its foundation,” but it appeared that the bloc was siding with the US, accusing Iran of being “a war monger.”

He told reporters at a press conference that Iran was trying to “sow chaos” in the region and that he saw an opportunity for the Iranian people to “decide their own future.”

Despite Europe’s disagreement with Trump, “despite his exploitation, despite his humiliation of Europe, many European leaders still feel that they rely on the American strategic umbrella,” added Gerges.

The Spanish prime minister “is the only one standing up,” he said.

Although the responses to the requests from the US have been different, Europe remains united in the need to protect the continent from any threats from Iran.

Spain, Italy, France and the Netherlands sent military and air assets to Cyprus, a member of the European Union, after an Iranian-made missile struck a British base in the country on Monday.

Spain has sent its most advanced warship to the eastern Mediterranean, showing its continued commitment to European defense cooperation despite refusing to help Trump.

Britain’s Ministry of Defense said on Saturday that one of its two aircraft carriers had been put into good condition, prompting speculation that it could be sent to the Mediterranean.

“Okay, Prime Minister Starmer, we don’t need any more,” Trump responded on Truth Social. “We don’t need people joining the Wars after we’ve won!”

But the United States’ various requests for European support seem to reflect a desire for a mutually beneficial relationship with Europe, which has seemed uncertain at times since Trump’s return to office.

“I think Trump has realized that Europe is important,” Michael Bociurkiw, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center, told NBC News. The president “approached many governments to get support, and maybe he believes he has enough support.”

In 2025, Bociurkiw added, European governments are coming to Washington “on their knees, trying to stop Trump” as they are trying to persuade Washington about the war in Ukraine, “but I think they realize now that they need to act independently.”

Last year, Trump called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a “dictator” with no “cards” to play, undermining support for Ukraine in its war with Russia while promoting a peace deal that would see the Eastern European country agree to a long peace.

But Zelenskyy said on Wednesday that the US is now turning to it for anti-drone defense assistance, drawing on Ukraine’s years of experience fighting Iranian-designed Shahed drones used by Russia.

“We received a request from the United States for direct support in the protection of the ‘Shahed’ in the Middle East region,” Zelenskyy wrote in X. “I gave instructions to provide the necessary means and ensure the presence of Ukrainian experts who can ensure the necessary security.”

Zelenskyy “carries much stronger cards than last week,” Bociurkiw added.