\n<\/p>\n
The moves by European leaders to stymie the United States in its conflict with the Islamist Iranian regime, apparently motivated by fear of potential blowback from Tehran and its proxies, appear set to incur a far greater strategic setback as Republicans call for a complete re-assessment of the NATO alliance.<\/p>\n
While leaders in Western Europe seemingly took the calculation that publicly rebuking U.S. President Donald Trump was in their political interest, given their largely left-liberal bases, growing Islamic populations opposed to any actions taken alongside Israel, and perhaps a belief that the MAGA base would split on the war, it appears that they have only succeeded in uniting the top brass of the Republican party against them.<\/p>\n The resistance to President Trump began from the outset of the conflict, with the United Kingdom, long held up as one of America\u2019s staunchest allies with a \u201cspecial relationship\u201d, refusing access to its military bases in the region to strike the Iranian regime, and only later relenting after steep pressure to allow \u201cdefensive\u201d manoeuvres by the U.S. military.<\/p>\n London has so far also refused to use its (apparently very limited) capabilities to help open the Strait of Hormuz, only saying that it would consider doing so once the conflict is over.<\/p>\n This was followed by socialist-run Spain, which not only refused access to its bases \u2014 forcing American troops to evacuate the country \u2014 but also access to its airspace. Similar refusals were made by both Italy, run by alleged Trump ally Giorgia Meloni, and France, which also later voted with Iran at the U.N. Security Council to block military actions by Gulf states to open the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n Even those who have been more cooperative, such as Germany, have openly counter signalled against the Trump administration, with Chancellor Friedrich Merz declaring that the conflict in Iran is \u201cnot our war\u201d.<\/p>\n In response to the moves by European leaders, one of the top members of the Republican caucus in the U.S. Senate, Ted Cruz of Texas, remarked<\/a> this week: \u201cThe unfortunate consequences for Europe of the last month will reverberate for decades.\u201d<\/p>\n His fellow Senator from South Carolina, Lindsay Graham, said<\/a> that despite his long history of supporting the NATO alliance, he \u201cwill never look at Europe the same\u201d over their refusal to assist the United States, adding: \u201cThey said things that will offend me until my dying day\u2014that this is not their problem\u2026 They made it so much harder on us\u2013put our people at risk.\u201d<\/p>\n