Europe says no to Trump’s Iran demands: ‘not our war’
2026.03.18 20:20 People hold a banner with an image of US President Donald Trump during an anti-war protest in Malaga, Spain, on March 7. Photo: Reuters When US President Donald Trump asked countries to join a global effort against Iran and deploy ships to prise open the Strait of Hormuz, whose near closure has held the global economy in a vice, he was rebuffed by some of America’s closest allies. Using unusually blunt language, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told his country’s lawmakers on Wednesday that he agreed Iran must not be allowed to pose a threat to its neighbours but expressed doubts about the rationale behind the US-Israeli war. “To this day, there is no convincing plan for how this operation could succeed. Washington has not consulted us and did not say European assistance was necessary,” he told lawmakers. “We would have advised against pursuing this course of action as it has been pursued. Therefore, we have declared that as long as the war continues, we will not participate in ensuring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, for example, by military means.” European leaders have rejected direct involvement in US-Israeli military operations against Iran, wary of getting sucked into an unpredictable conflict whose aims they do not fully understand and is unpopular with their own citizens. In doing so, they are calculating that the benefits of staying on the sidelines outweigh the multiple risks to transatlantic ties that are already under severe strain over anything from the war in Ukraine to tariff disputes. Merz’s Defence Minister Boris Pistorius was just as direct as his boss on Monday: “This is not our war, we have not started it.” Echoing Germany’s stance, French President Emmanuel Macron also said “We are not party to the conflict”. Europeans have long been wary that angering Trump could mean he cuts them loose on Ukraine or tries to force Kyiv to accept a deal that favours Moscow. Even the very existence of the Nato alliance has come
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