Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu have decided on war
Updated ,first published
London: Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu decided to go to war regardless of the stance of world leaders of countries that have supported America and Israel in the past. The US President and Israeli Prime Minister do not need any support from other countries to destroy Iran’s military ambitions, but their decisions highlight disagreement among Western leaders over the use of such large military force.
With this decision, America’s alliance with England seems to have weakened. Trump is angry at Britain and its leader, Prime Minister Keir Starmer, for Britain’s refusal to somehow participate in this attack on Iran. Starmer refused to allow the US to use its joint Indian Ocean military base of Diego Garcia – an independent British territory but run by US forces – to send planes to bomb Iran. Starmer also opposed the use of UK airspace for the same purpose.
Trump complained about this a week ago, calling on Starmer to stop plans to give Mauritius sovereignty over the island, a safe and strategic location that allows planes to reach the Middle East. He painted the UK leaders as weak. “We will always be ready, willing and able to fight for the United Kingdom, but they must remain strong in the face of Wokeism and other issues put before them,” he said on social media.
So far there is no sign of any assistance from major US allies in the attack on Iran. In the first hours after the bombing began, there appears to have been no NATO involvement in any attack and no statement of support from the European Union. The initial response, from Kaja Kallas, the European Commission’s foreign affairs chief, criticized Iran but did not support or deny US military strikes.
Given that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese meets regularly with Starmer and other leaders, Australia’s reaction may indicate a view taken by some other American allies. Albanese was clear about Australia’s position: “We support the United States taking action to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and to prevent Iran from continuing to threaten international peace and security.” As of 9pm (AEDT) on Saturday in Australia, no other US ally had acted so directly.
There are clear tensions in Trump’s relations with Europe after he claimed Greenland in January and threatened tariffs on allies. Tensions arose between Europe and Israel after French President Emmanuel Macron received support from Starmer and others in recognizing the Palestinian state, despite Netanyahu’s strong objections.
It’s Saturday morning in Europe and leaders are openly discussing their reactions as they monitor the impact of U.S. and Israeli attacks.
Read more about the US-Israel-Iran conflict:
David Crowe is the European correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect with: X or email.
