PNN – CNN reported on the predicament of European countries facing a US war with Iran and wrote about their structural weakness.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network; CNN reported that world leaders who opposed the US and Israeli attack on Iran are now caught between Donald Trump’s anger at their lack of support for the war and their own public opinion, which strongly opposes the war and the US president.
According to CNN, this situation has changed the relationship between the US and its allies. The report states that leaders who previously tried to please Trump are now finding the courage to criticize him and seeking to distance themselves. This change is not only due to opposition to US foreign policy, but also because of the economic pressures caused by the war, which threatens people’s livelihoods and even their own political futures.
CNN adds that even leaders who tried to moderate Trump’s behavior during his second term are now responding to his contemptuous tone. In the same context, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who had previously praised Trump, called Trump’s attacks on Pope Leo XIV “unacceptable.” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer also announced that he was “tired” of the increase in energy costs for his country’s people due to Trump’s actions.
The report goes on to say that relations between Trump and Starmer deteriorated when Trump raised the possibility of changing the trade deal with the UK. However, Starmer has insisted that his country will not go to war with Iran.
CNN also reported that world leaders are facing the consequences of war over which they have no control. The International Monetary Fund has warned that global economic growth could fall to 2.5%, compared to around 3.4% in 2025.
Countries that rely on Middle Eastern energy will fare worse, according to the report. In this regard, UK economic growth has been reduced to 0.8% for 2026, which is considered a serious blow to the Starmer government.
Japan has also been pressured due to its dependence on energy from the region, and rising transportation costs have caused prices to rise, CNN adds.
Another part of the report states that Trump was unpopular among US allies even before the Iran war, with polls showing his approval rating below 35% in many countries.
CNN emphasized that joining the war would be politically impossible for many allied leaders, as public opinion in their countries sees the war as wrong, ineffective, and contrary to international law.
The report goes on to say that IMF projections show that the Iran war is no longer just an external crisis, but has become a domestic and political threat to US allies. This, coupled with rising tensions between these countries’ leaders and Trump, has made siding with him a political cost.
CNN writes in another section that despite the growing criticism, European leaders face serious limitations, including military weakness. When Trump criticized the lack of presence of allied ships in the Strait of Hormuz, he was touching on a sensitive point: Many of these countries lack not only the necessary political support but also sufficient military capability for such missions.
Trump’s threat to withdraw from NATO has also been described as a serious leverage, as a massive military buildup in Europe could lead to a decline in the popularity of governments due to reduced social and health spending.
CNN concluded that although European leaders have resorted to criticizing Trump to maintain their political position, they cannot accept the risk of completely severing ties with the United States.