Once again, some of our European allies are balking at helping us defeat the terrorist regime in Iran that has plagued the world for decades with its brutal oppression and support for international terrorism.
As the remaining mullahs — those still breathing — threaten the crucial Strait of Hormuz waterway and cause dramatic fluctuations in worldwide oil prices, some European leaders want to talk about solutions but have no interest in protecting the shipping lanes themselves.
If you need an ally in the foxhole, don’t look to Spain right now under its leftist leadership:
Spain will not take part in any military mission in the Strait of Hormuz because it considers the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran to be illegal, Madrid's defense and foreign affairs ministers said on Monday.
The leftist coalition government led by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has criticized the offensive and banned participating U.S. aircraft from using jointly operated bases in southern Spain. Defense Minister Margarita Robles rejected a demand by President Donald Trump for military support to secure the waterway - which Tehran has de facto blocked to oil tanker traffic - and his threats of a "very bad future" for NATO allies failing to do so.
Here’s Sanchez earlier in March saying essentially, “don’t count on us”:
Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez to Trump:
— Defiant L’s (@DefiantLs) March 4, 2026
We are not going to be accomplices to something that is bad for the world and that is also contrary to our values and interests, simply because of the fear of reprisals from some. pic.twitter.com/PqvNW992lK
This is what’s more important to them, evidently:
Spain Defies Reality, Tells Hundreds of Thousands of Illegal Immigrants They're Free to Stay (VIP)
We can always turn to the U.K., though, right? Oh wait, they refused to allow us to use their airbases in the initial stages of Operation Epic Fury before partially backing down — but not before seriously damaging the “special relationship” the U.K. and the U.S. have enjoyed for decades.
Here’s their stance on the latest developments:
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday Britain would not be drawn into a wider war in Iran but would work with allies on a "viable collective plan" to reopen the key Strait of Hormuz, though he acknowledged that would not be a simple task.
President Donald Trump has heavily criticized Starmer for not initially supporting the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Tehran, and said at the weekend that Britain, China, France, Japan, and South Korea should send warships to the region to reopen the waterway.
Starmer told a press conference that reopening the strait was the only way to stabilize energy markets, and that he was talking to allies in Europe, the Gulf and the U.S. on a plan to secure freedom of navigation. He said it would not be a NATO-led mission.
Not sure exactly what plan he has in mind, but based on his past performance, I’m not holding my breath for much more than strongly-worded statements.
"While taking the necessary action to defend ourselves and our allies, we will not be drawn into the wider war," PM Keir Starmer says
— BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) March 16, 2026
"I want to see an end to this war as quickly as possible," the prime minister adds
Follow live: https://t.co/zwDEUJT5k3 pic.twitter.com/BlrR2CxjcB
I’m sure Germany will step up to the plate. Oh no:
"What does ... Donald Trump expect a handful or two handfuls of European frigates to do in the Strait of Hormuz that the powerful U.S. navy cannot do?" German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said in Berlin on Monday, as he downplayed threats by Trump that failing to come to Washington's aid could have consequences for the NATO alliance.
"This is not our war, we have not started it," he added.
The conflict has nothing to do with NATO and Germany has no plans to be drawn into it, government spokesperson Stefan Kornelius said.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius rejected US President Donald Trump's call for military support in the war against Iran, stressing Germany's focus on diplomacy. Pistorius also downplayed concerns over NATO unity https://t.co/CDrJOd9Aqr pic.twitter.com/0gTGvLoAhL
— Reuters (@Reuters) March 16, 2026
You can rest assured that our European allies will be all too happy to reap the benefits of a world without the scourge of Iran, but it seems that all too many of them are willing to sit back and wait for that day while the U.S. and Israel do the hard work.
I feel like I’ve heard similar stories before.
