New York: European leaders have firmly resisted pressure from US President Donald Trump to join the ongoing conflict with Iran, with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stating bluntly that “this is not Europe’s war."
As the conflict entered its third week, Washington urged European nations to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial route for global oil shipments disrupted by the fighting.
Trump has warned that failure to support the effort could have serious consequences for NATO’s future and suggested that several countries would deploy naval forces to the region. However, key European powers have pushed back, signalling a clear reluctance to be drawn into a wider war.
Germany’s defence minister Boris Pistorius said the conflict was not Europe’s responsibility and stressed that Berlin favors diplomacy over military escalation. France also indicated that its naval posture remains defensive, with forces positioned in the eastern Mediterranean rather than moving into the Gulf.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer echoed the cautious stance, saying the United Kingdom would not be pulled into a broader confrontation.
