"Since the US-Israeli attack started on Iran three days ago, this continent has looked at best uncoordinated, if not fractured and decidedly without leverage, caught up in the maelstrom of events. Each European country is understandably angsting about its citizens in the region - whether and how they may need to evacuate what would be tens of thousands of people in total."
"The continent's Big Three, France, Germany and the UK, did manage to issue a joint statement at the weekend, warning Iran they were ready to take "defensive action" to destroy its ability to fire missiles and drones unless Tehran stopped its "indiscriminate attacks". Since then, the UK has agreed to a US request to use two British military bases for "defensive" strikes on Iranian missile sites."
"European gas prices have soared to an extent not seen since the launch of Russia's fullscale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. European governments worry too about the impact the unfolding Middle East crisis may have on consumers back home. On energy and food prices, for example."
Europe faced the US-Israeli military action against Iran unprepared despite weeks of warning signs. While individual European nations grapple with evacuating citizens and managing energy price spikes, the continent lacks a coordinated response. France, Germany, and the UK issued a joint warning to Iran but took divergent actions: the UK authorized US use of British military bases, France reinforced Middle East presence after an Iranian strike on a UAE base, and Germany limited commitments to defensive measures only. European leaders avoided questioning the legality of US-Israeli strikes under international law, revealing political divisions and limited influence over Middle East developments.
#european-foreign-policy #iran-us-israel-conflict #energy-crisis #military-coordination #geopolitical-fragmentation
Read at www.bbc.com
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