The Guardian view on Europe's response to the Iran crisis: damage limitation only goes so far | Editorial

"The US president has berated and mocked Sir Keir Starmer over a lack of full-throated support for his latest military adventure. He has threatened Spain with a trade embargo, after its prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, described the joint US-Israeli assault on Tehran as unjustified and dangerous, and refused to sanction the use of military bases."

"While doing what is necessary to protect their interests in the Gulf, European governments also have a duty to stand up robustly for multilateral principles and norms which—however imperfectly adhered to—used to make the world a safer place. Confronted by a US administration that views such values as a form of weakness, doing so from a position of strength requires a single-minded push towards greater strategic autonomy."

European leaders were caught off guard by Trump's unilateral abduction of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro in January, responding cautiously by affirming international law while questioning Maduro's legitimacy. Trump's subsequent military actions in Iran, conducted without consulting allies or seeking congressional approval, have created significant tensions with European governments. The US president has criticized British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, threatened Spain with trade embargoes after Pedro Sanchez opposed the Iran strikes, and pressured Italy's Giorgia Meloni despite her ideological alignment with Trump. European governments must protect their Gulf interests while defending multilateral principles and international norms. Achieving this requires developing greater strategic autonomy independent of US influence, a process already beginning to emerge.

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