{"id":2577023,"date":"2026-03-06T17:00:01","date_gmt":"2026-03-06T22:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/europe-favors-tepid-response-to-trumps-iran-operation\/"},"modified":"2026-03-06T17:03:18","modified_gmt":"2026-03-06T22:03:18","slug":"europe-favors-tepid-response-to-trumps-iran-operation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/europe-favors-tepid-response-to-trumps-iran-operation\/","title":{"rendered":"Europe favors tepid response to Trump&#8217;s Iran operation"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Feurope-favors-tepid-response-to-trumps-iran-operation%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2577023&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article examines europe\u2019s cautious stance on the Trump governance\u2019s Iran operation and whether European allies matter in the ongoing conflict. Key points:<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Europe\u2019s response is tepid and transitional rather than decisive; many allies hedge their engagement and lack the capacity to substantially expand involvement. Observers note limited hard power support and a focus on soft power and legitimacy rather than direct action.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Notable European players show reluctance: Spain refused Pentagon access to bases; the United Kingdom requires a lawful basis and a viable plan before joining; France\u2019s Macron has criticized the operation as outside international law; Germany has likewise toned down its involvement.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; The broader view is that the US-Israel alliance remains the decisive factor, with European contributions seen as helpful but not game-changing. Experts argue European capabilities have atrophied due to domestic pressures and budget constraints.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; The crisis has seen Gulf partners (Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia) avoid escalation, in part as US-Israel efforts degraded Iran\u2019s missile capacity. This restraint reduces the likelihood of broader regional escalation, constraining Europe\u2019s potential role as well.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; What coudl change European behavior? NATO\u2019s Article 5 and major attacks on NATO members or energy infrastructure could propel a faster, more robust European response. Energy security concerns and economic pressures (such as, disruptions to the Strait of Hormuz) could also push allies to act more decisively.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; analysts debate whether a longer, ground-invasion scenario is plausible. Most experts view a large-scale invasion as unlikely due to logistical challenges, though some acknowledge political rhetoric could keep options on the table.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; The piece concludes that, while Europe could influence the conflict, its involvement is unlikely to determine its outcome; the focus remains on the US-Israel alliance and regional partners in the Middle East.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Europe favors tepid response to Trump&rsquo;s Iran operation. Does it matter?<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2525065\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Many of <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/washington-dc\/\">Washington&rsquo;s<\/a> long-standing allies are hedging engagement in U.S.-Israeli operations against <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/iran\/\">Iran<\/a>, but their involvement is likely not decisive to the conflict&rsquo;s outcome.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/spain\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"1864\">Spain<\/a>, officials opened a rift with the United States after refusing to allow the Pentagon access to its military bases for &ldquo;Operation Epic Fury.&rdquo; In the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/united-kingdom\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"547\">United Kingdom<\/a>, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he is not prepared for London to join the conflict without &ldquo;a lawful basis and a viable, thought-through plan&rdquo; from the Trump administration. In <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/france\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"387\">France<\/a>, President Emmanuel Macron described the operation as &ldquo;outside international law,&rdquo; echoing skepticism from other NATO members, including <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/germany\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"298\">Germany<\/a>, which has likewise sidelined involvement in the war.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4483341\/how-british-columbia-rid-daylight-saving-time\/\">How is British Columbia going to get rid of daylight saving time?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4483441\/europe-gas-trouble-war-strains-supplies-russia-cut-off\/\">Europe faces gas trouble as war strains supplies and Russia weighs cut-off<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4483254\/nigel-farage-mar-a-lago-trump-chagos-islands\/\">Farage heads to Mar-a-Lago to reinforce Trump&#8217;s opposition to Chagos Islands deal<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-does-europe-have-a-voice\">Does Europe have a voice?<\/h2>\n<p>Much of <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/europe\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"81\">Europe<\/a> doesn&rsquo;t have the will to expand engagement significantly. But more notably, it doesn&rsquo;t have the capacity to do so, former deputy national security adviser Victoria Coates said. Such partners can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/can-reza-pahlavi-sell-the-trump-admin-on-leading-a-postcleric-regime-in-iran\/\" title=\"Can Reza Pahlavi sell the ... admin on leading a postcleric regime in ...?\">offer limited support<\/a> in terms of soft power, lending a veneer of legitimacy and unity against Iran. But the strategic and material significance of major allies such as the U.K. has diminished in recent years as their military strength flounders, with weak defense budgets now facing the added strain of the Russia-Ukraine war, Coates said.&nbsp;Fears that individuals sympathetic to the Iranian regime could be among the floods of migrants London has ushered across its border could also be spurring Starmer&rsquo;s reluctance to get involved, she added, musing that the prime minister could be looking to avoid triggering domestic terrorism.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Multiple foreign policy experts concluded that Western partners are largely irrelevant to the Iran conflict, made void by the strength of the U.S.-Israeli alliance. &ldquo;The Israelis have one asset that&rsquo;s called the Air Force, and their Air Force is where they&rsquo;ve invested their money, and the Air Force is very good,&rdquo; retired Col. Douglas Macgregor, a former senior adviser to the secretary of defense, said. &ldquo;[The Europeans] they&rsquo;ve got very serious problems at home,&rdquo; he added.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;In the case of <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/keir-starmer\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"3660\">Keir Starmer<\/a> and the U.K., the embarrassing reality is there&rsquo;s very little they could do kinetically to support us,&rdquo; Coates said. &ldquo;Their capabilities have atrophied to such an extent that I guess if they feel like they can&rsquo;t, can&rsquo;t do much, they may as well not trigger a domestic security incident.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The director of American security at the America First Policy Institute, Jacob Olidort, echoed the thought.&nbsp;Historically, he said, the U.K. is &ldquo;among the first to join&rdquo; but is now reflecting &ldquo;its diminished navy and other military capabilities.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>While they insist they&rsquo;re not aiding offensive operations, the U.K. and France have led Europe in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-may-place-tariffs-on-arab-states-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"... may place tariffs on Arab states ... Washington Examiner\">deploying military assets<\/a> to the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/middle-east\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"102\">Middle East<\/a> to protect their interests and personnel in the region, including plans to send warships to the Mediterranean.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"4\">Donald Trump<\/a> has complained about the U.K., in particular, not being more supportive. Former Pentagon official Justin Fulcher said the U.S. is &ldquo;clearly encouraging&rdquo; more support from Europe, &ldquo;even if initially that support is largely rhetorical.&rdquo; But Coates said the U.S.-<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/israel\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"219\">Israel <\/a>alliance throughout the Iranian operation has been &ldquo;so seamless&rdquo; that&rdquo; &#8203;&#8203;I don&rsquo;t really see a need for us to have them,&rdquo; referring to Europe.<\/p>\n<p>Robert Satloff, the Segal executive director of the Washington Institute, agreed that while European participation &ldquo;would have a significant impact,&rdquo; their involvement &ldquo;is not the difference between failure and success.&rdquo; The more pivotal question, he suggested, centers on the role Washington&rsquo;s Middle Eastern partners, known as the Gulf States, are playing.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia did not go on the offensive against Iran after the regime launched retaliatory strikes on their countries, notably reducing the threat of escalating the conflict. Satloff described the development as notable and credited it to the success of U.S.-Israel forces in swiftly degrading Iranian missile capacity. &ldquo;Because the number of Iranian missiles has shrunk, they&rsquo;re less likely to retaliate, and so that moment appears to be passing,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-could-change-the-tone-of-nato-allies\">What could change the tone of NATO allies? <\/h2>\n<p>If a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/nato\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"603\">NATO<\/a> member suffers a major attack or sustains a casualty due to Iranian forces, Europe would accelerate involvement in the war against Iran, due to NATO&rsquo;s Article 5. Major attacks on energy infrastructure or civilian areas would also be likely to spark a more forceful response from allies.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;They&rsquo;re already under pressure from the energy side, given the need to move off of Russian energy sources. So if this becomes a second source of pressure for them economically, I think that could be a threshold for changing their response,&rdquo; Olidort said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Fulcher said of energy security that Europe would likely already be far more directly involved if Trump hadn&rsquo;t <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/trump-dfc-persian-gulf-ship-insurance-iran-war\/\">authorized<\/a> the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation to <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >insure cargo shipments moving<\/a> through the Strait of Hormuz. As it is, Deputy Prime Minister of Italy Antonio Tajani has suggested that the move is far from sufficient <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/ItalyMFA_int\/status\/2029266824068579474?s=20\">and warned <\/a>the U.S. this week that a prolonged closure of the strait could severely damage the global economy, a point emphasized by Macgregor.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I think the war that ends is going to be ended on the grounds that we&rsquo;re destroying the global economy,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;The market is finally beginning to come to terms with the reality of what&rsquo;s happening. The bubble is about to burst.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Macgregor downplayed the idea that Iran would target NATO civilian areas, saying it has thus far &ldquo;avoided that as much as possible.&rdquo; Coates said even if Iran does wage an attack on a NATO ally, it would be little more than a symbolic &ldquo;Hail Mary&rdquo; strike rather than an actual sustained attack on a NATO member.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I mean, if they&rsquo;ve got anything left, why fire it in Europe? It just doesn&rsquo;t make sense,&rdquo; she said.<\/p>\n<p>Amid fears that the Iran conflict could turn into lengthy ground invasions reminiscent of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Fulcher agreed the next few weeks will be &ldquo;very telling&rdquo; on whether it stays limited in scope or is drawn out. Trump has said Epic Fury will likely last up to five weeks, but Rep. Bill Foster (D-IL) and others have <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/lawmaker-says-no-clear-plan-iran-nuclear-stockpile-us-campaign-targets-missiles\">warned that<\/a> accomplishing the U.S. objective of eliminating the regime&rsquo;s nuclear threat would likely require a ground invasion, dragging the timeline out. Coates estimated it would take a six-week process to reach actual large&#8209;scale deployments. A full ground invasion is &ldquo;really unlikely,&rdquo; she said, though qualifying that Trump &ldquo;has not categorically ruled it out.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/defense\/4480410\/us-military-strikes-iran-machinery-weaponry-used-war\/\">B-2 STEALTH BOMBERS, ONE-WAY ATTACK DRONES AND MORE: THE MACHINERY AND WEAPONS BEING USED BY US IN IRAN<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The idea that the U.S. would attempt such a ground invasion is a &ldquo;fantasy,&rdquo; Macgregor added.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Iran&rsquo;s the size of Western Europe. How do they get in there?&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;How do you build up a force large enough? How do you protect it? How do you sustain it? Logistically, it&rsquo;s a nightmare. It&rsquo;s impossible.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Europe cool on Trump Iran move; allies hesitant<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3142,"featured_media":2577024,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AP26060679938061.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[8447,3823,3634],"class_list":["post-2577023","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-europe","tag-iran","tag-trump"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AP26060679938061.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2577023","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3142"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2577023"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2577023\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2577027,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2577023\/revisions\/2577027"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2577024"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2577023"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2577023"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2577023"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}