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A spiralling conflict has erupted in the Middle East, risking major regional spill-over and dragging in European Union countries.
The war is exposing the deep fault lines separating EU leaders, with Spain the only country to publicly condemn the US and Israel’s initial attack on Iran. US President Donald Trump has reacted by threatening to sever all trade ties with Madrid.
Despite not being consulted in advance on the military intervention, several European nations are moving to provide defensive support to their allies, while Cyprus, an EU member state, has been impacted by an Iran-made drone.
Was the EU right to refrain from criticising the initial attack on Iran? Are EU nations now inevitably being dragged into war? And what are the implications for Europe’s economy, security, and stability?
These are just some of the questions we posed to Hana Jalloul, a Spanish MEP from the centre-left Socialists and Democrats group, and Reinhold Lopatka, an Austrian MEP from the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP), on this week’s episode of The Ring.
Jalloul, who hails from the socialist party of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, argues that Spain was right to question the legality of the US-Israeli strikes on Iran and to deny the US the right to use its military bases in Rota and Morón in southern Spain. She also calls out the brutality of the Iranian regime and backs the Iranian people’s struggle to re-claim their freedom.
While Lopatka agrees that the legality of the strikes is questionable, he argues that the intervention is “justified” as the US aims to constrain Iran’s nuclear capacities and support for its proxies, such as Hezbollah and the Houthis.
Both also disagree on the legitimacy of the exiled son of Iran’s last Shah, Reza Pahlavi, who has been floated as a possible figurehead for the Iranian opposition, but who remains a polarising figure.
Both MEPs say the EU is facing a pivotal moment, with potentially huge implications for its energy security and economy.
This episode of The Ring is anchored by Mared Gwyn Jones, produced by Luis Albertos and Amaia Echevarria, and edited by Vassilis Glynos.
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