Mar 03, 2026
3 min read
Among the warnings and predictions about the expansion of the fighting, the first figures reach the American president
The first number and the first category will come for Trump as he waits to understand the development and consequences of the attack.What Italy is doing, what Macron, Starmer and Spanish ministers say.
Although Donald Trump did not rule out sending ground troops to Iran after the attack on the country led by the United States and Israel, Europe continues to sound the alarm about the possible extension of the crisis in the Middle East region, waiting to understand the evolution and consequences of the tests.However, in the meantime, Trump has the first no and the first units are arriving.If France, Germany and Great Britain said they are "prepared for defensive actions" against Iran, Spain abstained completely and openly refused to support American action.
On the Italian frontForeign Minister Antonio Tajani explained: “This problem will not find a quick solution.But it might be on the last day.It could be the weekend,” saying, “A lot will depend on Tehran's decision and the strength of the government. "However, we work with patience and determination," and the government did.“To protect our neighbors and freedom of movement, our businesses risk paying a high price for this unfair and unacceptable Iranian response.Together with the Iranian people who deserve a future of peace, development and good health.”
He added that the crisis, through the actions of groups directly responding to Tehran in Iraq, Yemen and Lebanon, provoked a firm response from Tel Aviv last night, when Hezbollah fired several rockets into Israeli territory.
The Italian government, he assured at the time, is doing "everything possible" for the repatriation of citizens who are currently in the Middle Eastern areas affected by the war, reminding that there are about 70,000 Italians in that area and that it is impossible to organize the evacuation of all: the Farnesina is therefore acting with all the levers at its disposal to leave the citizens available again.
After saying that he was ready to take "defensive measures", French President Emmanuel Macron warned at the same time that the ever-expanding war between the United States, Israel and Iran could spread to the borders of Europe.According to him, the conflict, which began last Saturday, "brings instability and possible chaos to our borders and will continue, as long as Iran's nuclear and ballistic capabilities remain."
In a speech from the Ile Longue naval base in the port of Brest (Finistère), Macron announced that France was "advancing" into a new phase of nuclear deterrence, which he described as "progress".
"We must strengthen - he said - our nuclear deterrence in the face of a combination of threats" that falls, and "we will reflect on our deterrence strategy in the European region, fully respecting our sovereignty, through the continuous implementation of what I will describe as a high deterrence".
"We are living in a period of geopolitical upheaval full of risks, and our colleagues are fully aware of this. This period justifies strengthening our model," Macron explained.The French leader added that eight European countries have agreed to participate in the nuclear deterrence plan proposed by France, including Germany, Britain and Poland.Those countries are French, including the Netherlands, Belgium, Greece, Sweden and Denmark.It will be able to host a "strategic air force", which will thus "spread over the European continent" to "complicate the calculations of our adversaries", the president said at the Atlantic base of Ile Longue in the port of Brest.
The plan could also include the “routine participation of allied forces in our nuclear activities,” as in recent military exercises involving British forces, Macron added.
Macron then said that Paris, London and Berlin "will cooperate on long-range missile projects"."As far as deep strike capabilities are concerned, Germany, the United Kingdom and France ... will cooperate on long-range missile projects," the French president later said.
For his part, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed in the House of Commons that the UK will not participate in the initial round of attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran.
"We believe that the best way forward for the region and the world is a negotiated solution in which Iran agrees to give up its aspirations to develop nuclear weapons and cease its destabilizing activities in the region," he added. "This is the long-held position of successive British governments," he added.President Donald Trump has expressed his disagreement with our decision not to participate in the initial attack, but it is up to me to decide what is in the UK's national interest.And this is what I have done and what I support.
"Each country makes its own foreign policy decisions. Spain has a very clear position: the voice of Europe must be the voice of balance and moderation at the same time, to try to reduce tensions and return to the negotiating table."Thus, Jose Manuel Albarez, Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, announced that Spain refuses to support the actions of the United States and Israel against Iran and distances itself from the positions taken by France, Germany and the United Kingdom."We are conducting unilateral military action outside the UN Charter, without anyone having a clear objective. Europe must defend international law, de-escalation and negotiation."
Spain's role in supporting attacks on Iran forced the Pentagon to withdraw dozens of KC-135 tanker aircraft deployed at the Moron de la Frontera base and, to a lesser extent, Rota, used for aerial refueling of fighter jets, Defense Secretary Margarita Robles confirmed, underscoring the rules of the US tromant. In Spain, without the support of multinational organizations such as the UN,NATO and the EU now engage in unilateral actions and stipulate that they "must act in accordance with international law".
"Le basi non daranno appoggio, a meno che non sia necessario dal punto di vista umanitario", ha aggiunto, sottolineando che fino a quando "non ci sarà una soluzione, il trattato non sarà applicato".
Meanwhile, the European Commission has carried out "increased surveillance" and "close cooperation" with Europol and member states on the "potential threat to internal security" arising from the Israeli-US attack on Iran, the EU executive reported, following a meeting of the College of Commissioners on Security Affairs in Brussels.
