Europeans are divided on how to respond to a US/Israeli war with Iran. German leaders have been measured, Spain’s prime minister has criticized the Trump administration and Israel.
Scott Simon, Host:
The US and Israel initially attacked Iran without the support of other allies. Since last Saturday, there has been a mix of reaction around the world, from condemnation to warm support. We’re joined now by NPR’s Berlin correspondent Rob Schmitz. Rob, thanks for being with us.
ROB SCHMITZ, BYLINE: Good morning, Scott.
Simon: Let’s start with the public reaction in Germany, where you are based. what is it
SCHMITZ: Well, among the German public, there’s a lot of concern about all aspects of this unfolding war, whether it’s being waged legally, whether Europe will be dragged into it, how it will affect energy prices. These worries run a gamut. A poll taken on the initial attack on Iran found that 59% of Germans opposed the US and Israeli actions. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz made a pre-scheduled visit to the White House this week on Tuesday, which puts him in the kind of awkward position of having to show a certain level of deference to President Trump so that Europe can be at the negotiating table between Russia and Ukraine to end that war. But he had to communicate how Europe hopes this war with Iran ends quickly, and here’s what he said.
(soundbite of archived recording)
Chancellor Friedrich Merz: We are supporting the United States and Israel in getting rid of this terrible terrorist regime, and we are looking forward to a day when we have to talk…
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Yes.
MERZ: …strategy, what follows after this administration.
SIMON: That was the German Chancellor, but the Spanish Prime Minister had a different reaction.
SCHMITZ: They certainly did. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez was the European leader most critical of the Trump administration, its attacks on Israel and Iran.
(soundbite of archived recording)
PRIME MINISTER PEDRO SANCHEZ: (Speaking Spanish).
SCHMITZ: And, Scott, he’s saying here, the world first saw this kind of conflict when the U.S. attacked Iraq, promising democracy and stability. The conflict has led to a rise in jihadist terrorism, a migrant crisis in Europe and high fuel prices, he said. He accused President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of using the smoke of war to cover up their own failures and, in the process, line the pockets of some who profit from the war. So Sanchez’s comments quickly went viral and garnered a lot of popular support in Europe and beyond.
Simon: So clearly there’s a divide. And is Europe capable of doing anything about that disagreement, other than making statements now?
SCHMITZ: Yes. You know, there’s a sense that the US and Israel are going their separate ways in Europe, and Europeans are going to suffer many of the consequences of this war. Prices at the pump in Germany were up 20% a week ago and now cost about $8 per gallon here. Chancellor Merz warned President Trump about this war creating another migration crisis in Europe. So there is concern about spillover from more instability in the Middle East.
In the UK, Prime Minister Keir Stormer is sending troops to protect British interests, and he says the war in Iran has thrown the Middle East into chaos. Meanwhile, EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas said this week that Ukraine was sharing strategies and know-how to shoot down Iranian drones with European trading partners in the Gulf that have been attacked. So, you know, Europe is doing what it can to protect the region and maintain some kind of stability, but there’s a lot of skepticism on the continent about where this war is going and what the implications are for the rest of the world.
SIMON: NPR’s Rob Schmitz. Thank you so much for being with us.
SCHMITZ: Thanks, Scott.
Copyright © 2026 NPR. All rights reserved. For more information visit our Website Terms of Use and Permissions pages at www.npr.org.
Accuracy and availability of NPR transcripts may vary. Transcript text may be revised to correct errors or accommodate updates to the audio. Audio on npr.org may be edited after its original broadcast or publication. The official record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
