Overview
- White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Trump expects all European allies to support the U.S. and Israel in the campaign against Iran.
- France, Germany and the U.K. issued a joint statement condemning Iran’s attacks and pledging to enable necessary and proportionate defensive action.
- Germany approved U.S. use of Ramstein Air Base, France allowed temporary landings with guarantees of defensive use, the U.K. granted access to two bases without joining strikes, Italy floated air-defense support for Gulf states, and Spain refused U.S. base access.
- An Iranian drone attack on a British base in Cyprus spurred European naval deployments to the region, as NATO’s Mark Rutte warned of Iranian plots and assassination attempts on European soil.
- Analysts describe a shift toward defensive postures and risk management, citing limited European capacity, focus on Ukraine, and concerns over energy prices and migration pressures.