As the war on Iran started by Netanyahu and Trump enters its third week, unease is growing across Europe. While European nations were never fully united on the issue from the outset, concerns over rising energy prices, the diversion of attention from the Ukraine war, the easing of US restrictions on Russian oil, and the possible influx of refugees have alarmed an increasing number of countries.Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has been among the strongest critics of the war from the outset. He described the strikes as a violation of international law and a “serious mistake”. Spain refused to allow US forces to use Spanish bases for the operation and even withdrew its ambassador from Israel as tensions escalated.AdvertisementItalian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, a close partner of Donald Trump, has stated clearly that Italy will not join the military campaign against Iran. She condemned the “massacre” at an Iranian school and warned that the war reflects a growing and dangerous trend of interventions conducted outside the framework of international law.The French position remains ambiguous. President Emmanuel Macron argued that the military operations against Iran were conducted “outside the framework of international law,” though he also blamed Iran for contributing to the escalation. France has emphasised that it was neither informed in advance nor involved in the initial strikes and is not participating directly in the war. Paris opposes Tehran’s nuclear and missile ambitions and insists on restoring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. Norway and Slovakia have also questioned the legality of the strikes. Switzerland has denied requests from the US military to fly over its territory.Friedrich Merz, the Chancellor of Germany, initially aligned with Donald Trump on the objectives of the war during his visit to the United States. But as energy prices rise and fears of large-scale migration grow, he has since warned that “a strategy is needed to bring this war to an end.” He has also ruled out any military involvement. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius has been even more blunt: “It is not our war. We did not start it.” Rejecting Trump’s call for military support in the Strait of Hormuz, he asked: “What does Donald Trump expect from a handful of European frigates that the mighty US Navy cannot manage alone?”AdvertisementAlso Read | In war on Iran, Israel knows what it wants — US does notThe United Kingdom has taken a cautious line. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Britain was not involved in the initial strikes on Iran, even though London remains politically aligned with Washington. When the UK initially refused immediate use of its bases, Donald Trump reacted sharply, saying, “We don’t need people that join wars after we’ve already won.” Two weeks later, however, Trump is again pressing London to send naval ships to the Strait of Hormuz. Britain has so far resisted, insisting it will not be drawn into a “wider war” over Iran.By and large, most European countries have condemned Iran’s retaliatory attacks in the region while urging restraint and a diplomatic resolution to the crisis. Their responses have broadly reflected each country’s transatlantic orientation and historical ties with Israel.Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, warned that since the war with Iran began, gas prices have risen by 50 per cent and oil prices by 27 per cent, translating into about €3 billion in additional fuel import costs for the European Union. Pressure is mounting on the European Union to announce concrete joint measures to address the emerging energy crisis.Taking advantage of the situation, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who maintains close ties with Vladimir Putin, has again urged the European Union to suspend sanctions on Russian energy, arguing that the Iran crisis and rising oil prices are placing a heavy burden on European economies. Bart De Wever, the Prime Minister of Belgium, has also advocated restoring normal relations with Russia and regaining access to its cheaper energy supplies.Many countries in Central and Eastern Europe, including Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, and the Baltic states, have avoided openly questioning the United States, but have also indicated that they have no plans to provide direct military support.Most European nations are critical of Iran’s behaviour and nuclear ambitions, but many are also questioning the legality of the military strikes. They are increasingly aware that the immediate beneficiary of the conflict may be Russia, as higher global energy prices and the easing of sanctions could boost Russian revenues.you may likeUnclear objectives and mixed messages from Donald Trump on the duration of the war have unsettled many European leaders and rattled financial markets. Trump launched the war without consulting many NATO allies in Europe, but is now asking some of them to help secure the Strait of Hormuz. At the conclusion of the EU foreign ministers’ meeting, the bloc’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, declared that EU countries are not willing to become militarily involved in a war they did not start.While Europe is not significantly affected by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, as most of the oil and gas passing through it goes to Asia, it is nonetheless impacted by the resulting rise in global energy prices. These developments are feeding into European debates about the changing nature of the transatlantic alliance and the need for greater European strategic autonomy and sovereignty.The writer is Jean Monnet Chair and Professor at the Centre for European Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi