Evening Briefing Americas

European Leaders Are Saying ‘No’ to Trump and the War in Iran

NATO allies are declining to get involved in the US-Israel war, and a US counterterrorism resigns over the conflict.

Cargo ships and tankers off the city of Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, in the Strait of Hormuz on Feb. 25, three days before the war began.Photographer: Giuseppe Cacace/AFP

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By Jordan Erb

March 17, 2026 at 9:53 PM UTC

Europe is learning how to say “no” to Donald Trump over the US-Israel war with Iran.

Nearly three weeks into the expanding conflict, leaders from Germany, Greece and Norway have stopped equivocating and started outright telling the US president they won’t help in his campaign with Israel against the Islamic Republic.