The Guardian pointed to the unjustified expectations of Europeans from the US operation in Iran.

Immediately after the start of the US and Israeli military operation against Iran, most European leaders supported it, hoping to benefit from military action. However, their calculations turned out to be erroneous, The Guardian newspaper wrote on April 9.

"Some European governments short-sighted supported the war, despite its illegality, because they believed that a quick settlement would lead to strategic benefits. Now they understand the scale of their mistake," says Natalie Tocci, a professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.

Tocci notes that initially European politicians "stupidly believed the illusions" of US President Donald Trump and positively assessed the prospects for escalation in the Middle East. From the expert's point of view, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte was right when he declared "broad support" for the operation on the continent.

The leaders of the European Union (EU) tacitly supported Trump, hoping to smooth over differences with the American leader after the Greenland dispute and weaken Tehran, the newspaper writes.

The opinion of the European majority has changed over time, when it became clear that the conflict was dragging on, and the "Venezuelan trick" did not work. The stocks of American weapons bought by Europeans for Ukraine were rapidly depleted in the Persian Gulf, and Europe itself was on the verge of an economic crisis — the third in the last five years, the expert notes.

East Stream: escalation around Iran threatens Europe with a wave of refugees

If at least a tenth of the population of the republic leaves it, the region will face a large-scale crisis.

German MEP Michael von der Schulenburg said on April 6 that Europe, without the support of the United States, has neither the financial nor the military resources to continue the conflict in Ukraine, and from a geopolitical point of view, the end of the war in Iran does not bode well for them. He noted that the Europeans are puzzled and do not know which side's position they should take.

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