Trump’s war on Iran provided a strategic opportunity to leave the US entangled in a quagmire. European opposition escalated not only to the war itself but also manifested in direct defiance of the American administration and Trump personally. The “Rearm Europe” initiative, with an initial €1.5bn budget, supports joint European military manufacturing, stipulates that all weapons be European-made, and includes plans to develop a sixth-generation fighter jet as a potential replacement for US-made F-35s. The European Union Military Staff (EUMS) has also been strengthened, as evidenced by its coordination in rejecting US operations against Iran. The conclusion of the Iran war may well serve as a symbolic “divorce” between the US and Europe—a prelude to a new relationship defined not by hierarchical dependency, as shaped since World War II, but by mutual parity.

Source: Daily News Egypt April 07, 2026 19:53 UTC