EU struggles to be heard as the war on Iran escalates

When the U.S. and Israel struck Iran on Saturday morning, “very few” people in Europe were told beforehand that the airstikes were about to begin, a senior lawmaker in the bloc told CNBC.

“Very few people have been informed,” Hannah Neumann, member of the European Parliament (MEP) and chair of the delegation for relations with Iran, said Tuesday.

She told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Europe” that even German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, the leader of the EU’s largest economy, “had just been informed a few minutes in advance.”

The lack of notice reflects how, four days into the intensifying conflict in the Middle East, Europe has been largely on the sidelines as its wider economic impact spells potential upheaval for the continent.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Alberto Costa issued an initial statement on Saturday that the EU was watching developments with concern, and that it had a “steadfast commitment to safeguarding regional security and stability.”

On Sunday, the EU said it would protect EU security and interests, “including through additional sanctions.” But Merz appeared to distance himself from this, saying sanctions had not worked and that the use of force was appropriate.

“We were not prepared to enforce fundamental interests with military force if necessary. Therefore, now is not the time to be lecturing our partners and allies. Despite all our doubts, we share many of their goals, without being able to actually achieve them ourselves,” he said in a speech on Sunday.

One area where Europe could have leverage over the U.S. is over Washington’s use of its military bases, which allow it to launch attacks more easily.

The U.K. fell out of favor with Trump after initially refusing to give the U.S. permission to use its military bases, only to U-turn on Monday, allowing them to be used for “defensive” strikes on Iranian missile sites.

Trump gave interviews to two British newspapers in which he condemned Prime Minister Keir Starmer, despite the change of heart.

He told the Telegraph he was “very disappointed” and that it “took far too long” for the U.S. to be granted use of British bases. Trump told the Sun that the relationship between the U.S. and the U.K. was “not what it was.”

Trump said Monday that, with Iran’s regime weakened after the death of Khamanei, “this was our last best chance to strike.”

“What we’re doing right now, and eliminate the intolerable threats posed by this sick and sinister regime,” Trump said at the White House.

The EU has said it supports the U.S. aim of preventing Iran from having a nuclear arsenal, but the continent’s leaders are concerned as to whether military action violates international law.

“Full cooperation by Iran with the International Atomic Energy Agency as well as adherence to Iran’s legal obligations under Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement are crucial, and nuclear safety is a critical priority,” the EU said in its statement on Sunday.

MEP Neumann told CNBC that the bloc’s immediate priorities were to deal with the repercussions for the EU, and “to see what we can do together with our partners in the Gulf to de-escalate the situation.”

Asked whether it was almost impossible for the EU to have a stake in de-escalating tensions, Neumann said attempts should still be made to reason with the regime left in Tehran, despite it carrying out retaliatory attacks across the Gulf, and showing little appetite for diplomacy.

“Iran’s retaliatory actions are quite grave. They seem to be bigger than what has been expected .. so there we can, and should, use diplomatic channels that we still have to maybe make someone in the regime reconsider this kind of escalation,” she said.

“We also need to work together, and that’s something we only can do as the European Union together, to see how we can best evacuate European citizens from the region, and how we can create some some buffers in our energy security, but also the delivery chains, in case of the situation dragging on like that, and especially the Strait of Hormuz continues to be blocked,” she said.

CNBC has contacted the EU for further comment on its stance on U.S.-Israeli military action, and the level of communication it has with the White House over the ongoing conflict.

Carl Bildt, former prime minister of Sweden and co-chair of the European Council on Foreign Relations, defended the EU when he spoke to CNBC on Monday, saying the U.S.’ endgame was unclear.

“What we are seeing now is not a great picture of the coherence of U.S. policies. Clearly, this is something decided in very uncertain ways by the president. And if you listen to him, why he started the war, there is no clear explanation for that,” he told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Europe.”

“When you start a war, you should have a reason for it. You should have an aim for it [and in this situation] it’s unclear in both cases … and that adds to the general uncertainty of the situation,” he said.