As the war in the Middle East rages on, Donald Trump isn’t just issuing strong verbal attacks against Iran but also against his so-called ‘allies’ in Europe and NATO.
Officials in and around Brussels have made it clear that they are unhappy with the president’s approach to the conflict, not least about the fact they were not consulted beforehand. They, in turn, have angered Trump by refusing to let America use European bases to launch attacks, and turning down his request to send warships to help open the Strait of Hormuz.
European Council President António Costa also warned on Monday that “any targeting of civilian infrastructure, namely energy facilities, is illegal and unacceptable,” after Trump threatened to destroy Iranian power plants and bridges if the country fails to meet his Tuesday deadline to reopen the Strait to all shipping. Costa added:
The Iranian civilian population is the main victim of the Iranian regime. It would also be the main victim of a widening of the military campaign.
At the same time, Trump again criticised NATO countries that have refused to back his war in Iran—a decision he previously described as a “very foolish mistake”—and threatened to leave the “paper tiger” military alliance. Its secretary general, Mark Rutte, is expected in Washington this week for talks.
The president’s criticism has also extended to non-NATO members, including South Korea, Australia and Japan, highlighting the wide reach of the rifts being caused by the ongoing war.
Michael Curzon is a news writer for europeanconservative.com based in England’s Midlands. He is also Editor of Bournbrook Magazine, which he founded in 2019, and previously wrote for London’s Express Online. His Twitter handle is @MichaelCurzon_.
