European freeloading is a genuine concern
We have learnt several things from the bizarre leak of US war plans to a journalist accidentally included in a private messaging group. One is that senior members of the administration appear to have had no clue as to why American jets were involved in bombing targets in Yemen last week.
Another is that the antipathy towards Europe over the way many continental countries have spent too little on their own defence is real and deep-seated, bordering on loathing.
Leaving aside the cavalier manner of using a commercial messaging app to disseminate top secret information, this has proved to be a fascinating insight into thinking among Donald Trump's top team of advisers.
It centres on a decision to bomb targets in Yemen, which many of the participants to the conversation struggled to rationalise. The obvious reason is to keep open the shipping lanes which Houthi attacks in the Red Sea have effectively closed, forcing traffic to go around the Cape.
But as J D Vance, the vice-president, pointed out this was of limited benefit to America since just three per cent of its trade went through the Suez Canal, compared with 40 per cent of Europe's. In other words, the US was being asked yet again to do the heavy lifting for the Europeans, just as with Ukraine.
'There is a real risk that the public doesn't understand this or why it's necessary. The strongest reason to do this is, as POTUS said, to send a message…. I am not sure the president is aware how inconsistent this is with his message on Europe right now.'
Pete Hegseth, the defence secretary, adds: 'I fully share your loathing of European freeloading. It's PATHETIC. We are the only ones on the planet … who can do this. Nobody else even close.' That is not entirely true. The RAF bombed Houthi military facilities last year using planes based in Cyprus in a joint action with the US.
President Trump appears to have been convinced that this threat to global sea lanes should be dealt with even if America does not benefit, though he believes there should be payback. But why do other European countries not participate? Only the US and the UK seem to take it seriously enough to try to stop it with direct military action.
The recklessness, and probable illegality, behind the sharing of secret information does not disguise the fact that the frustration in Washington about European 'freeloading' is well-founded.
Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
21 minutes ago
- New York Post
Rubio warns Iran if it strikes back, it will be ‘worst mistake they ever made'
Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday said the US attacked Iran because it 'tried to play'' President Trump — and warned if it attempts to retaliate, it will be 'the worst mistake they ever made.'' 'That was an Iranian choice. We didn't make that choice,' Rubio told Fox News' 'Sunday Morning Futures.' Iran 'tried to play' Trump similar to how 'they've played every American president for the last 35 years,' Rubio said. 'They did by playing games with Donald Trump. They made a huge mistake. 4 Secretary of State Marco Rubio stresses Sunday that the US is not at war with Iran at the moment. FOX News 'If they retaliate, it will be the worst mistake they've ever made,' he said. 'Look, we can fly in and out of Iran at will. We went in last night. The president sent our military forces from halfway across the world, went in, conducted this operation, left and not a shot was fired against us.' Rubio noted that Trump wrote to Iran about two months ago giving Tehran 60 days to negotiate over its nuclear program. 'They use diplomacy to hide behind and obfuscate and think they can buy themselves time. They think they're cute, they're not cute, and they're not going to get away with this stuff, not under President Trump,' Rubio said. Iran has seethed at the attack on its nuclear sites — dubbed 'Operation Midnight Hammer' by the US — and vowed that America 'shall be held fully accountable,' without elaborating on specifics. 4 President Trump was warned Iran that there will be consequences if it retaliates. POOL/AFP via Getty Images Some analysts have speculated that Iran could fire off attacks against US bases or other military assets in the region. In 2020, Iran attacked the Al-Asad Airbase in Iraq, where the US had troops stationed, in response to the killing of notorious Quds Force leader Qasem Soleimani. But the Israelis have significantly degraded Iran's offensive and defensive capabilities since launching Operation Rising Lion against its enemy a little more than a week ago to take out its nuclear program. 'They are completely vulnerable, completely vulnerable,' Rubio said of Iran. 'They don't control their own airspace, they can't protect their own airspace. 'They can't even protect their own leaders,' he said. 'So I think it would be a big mistake if they did anything against us. But look, they'll have to make that decision.' One potential reprisal that many experts fear is that Iran could attempt to close the Straits of Hormuz, where an estimated 20% to 25% of the world's consumed oil flows. 4 The US deployed its famous B-2 stealth bombers to drop heavy-duty 'bunker-buster' bombs on Iran's nuclear facilities. 509th Bomb Wing Public Affairs 'I encourage the Chinese government in Beijing to call them about that because they heavily depend on the Straits of Hormuz for their oil,' Rubio said. 'If [Iranian officials try to close the waterway], it will be another terrible mistake. It's economic suicide for them if they do it.' The secretary of state stressed that 'this is not a war against Iran' and denied the US is seeking regime change with its military campaign against the theocracy. 4 All eyes are on Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to see how the brutal regime will respond to the American attacks on its three nuclear facilities. via Getty Images 'That's certainly not the goal of what we're working on here, the goal, stated very clearly in a letter the president sent the Supreme Leader [Ayatollah Ali Khamenei],' the secretary of state said. Rubio also tore into Iran's troubled history, assessing that it's 'the sole source of instability in the entire Middle East, and the world's been paying a price for this for 40-something years. 'Imagine those people having a nuclear weapon, just one, just one nuclear weapon or even the capability to being on the threshold of having a nuclear weapon,' he warned. While several neighboring countries in the Middle East have condemned the strikes, Rubio claimed that 'privately, they all agree with us that this needed to be done.' He also suggested that European powers should consider slapping sanctions on Tehran.
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Flights from London to Doha and Dubai cancelled after US strikes Iran
Flights from London to Dubai and Doha have been cancelled after Donald Trump ordered a US attack on Iran's nuclear sites. It comes after a British Airways (BA) flight from London Heathrow to Dubai was diverted to Zurich on Saturday night. The BA109 flight departed from the UK at 9.53pm on Saturday and reached Saudi Arabia before the Boeing 787 Dreamliner changed its course, landing in Switzerland, according to flight-tracking website Flightradar24. All of the airline's flights to Dubai and Doha that were scheduled to depart from Heathrow on Sunday have been cancelled, including return flights, the company said. Israel announced on Sunday that it had closed its airspace to both inbound and outbound flights in the wake of the US attacks. The US struck three nuclear sites in Iran overnight prompting Tehran to launch a retaliatory ballistic missile barrage against Israel. In a statement, British Airways said: 'As a result of recent events, we have adjusted our flight schedule to ensure the safety of our customers and crew, which is always our top priority. 'We are contacting our customers to advise them of their options while we work through this developing situation.' BA is offering a flexible booking policy for customers already booked onto flights to Dubai and Doha between Sunday and Tuesday who wish to change their dates of travel. According to Gatwick's website, flights to and from the airport to Doha and Dubai are continuing as scheduled.
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
US signals a willingness to renew talks with Iran and avoid a prolonged war
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration on Sunday signaled a willingness to renew talks with Iran and avoid a prolonged war in the aftermath of a surprise attack on three of the country's nuclear sites as U.S. officials assessed Tehran's nuclear ambitions and the threat of retaliation against American interests. President Donald Trump, who had addressed the nation from the White House on Saturday night, allowed his national security team to speak for him the next morning, staying quiet on social media and scheduling no public appearances. The coordinated messaging by his vice president, Pentagon chief, top military adviser and secretary of state suggested a confidence that any fallout from the attack would be manageable and that Iran's lack of military capabilities would ultimately force it back to the bargaining table. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said at a news conference that America 'does not seek war' with Iran while Vice President JD Vance said the strikes have given Tehran the possibility of returning to negotiate with Washington. 'Operation Midnight Hammer, involved decoys and deception, and met with no Iranian resistance, according to Hegseth and Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. 'This mission was not and has not been about regime change,' Hegseth added. Caine said the goal of the operation — destroying nuclear sites in Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan — had been achieved. 'Final battle damage will take some time, but initial battle damage assessments indicate that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction,' Caine said. Vance said in a television interview that while he would not discuss 'sensitive intelligence about what we've seen on the ground,' he felt 'very confident that we've substantially delayed their development of a nuclear weapon.' Pressed further, he told NBC's 'Meet the Press' that 'I think that we have really pushed their program back by a very long time. I think that it's going to be many many years before the Iranians are able to develop a nuclear weapon.' The vice president said the U.S. had 'negotiated aggressively' with Iran to try to find a peaceful settlement and that Trump made his decision after assessing the Iranians were not acting 'in good faith.' "I actually think it provides an opportunity to reset this relationship, reset these negotiations and get us in a place where Iran can decide not to be a threat to its neighbors, not to a threat to the United States and if they're willing to do that, the United States is all ears,' Vance said. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on CBS's 'Face the Nation' that "there are no planned military operations right now against Iran, unless, unless they mess around and they attack" U.S. interests. Trump has previously threatened other countries, but often backed down or failed to follow through, given his promises to his coalition of voters not to entangle the United States in an extended war. It was not immediately clear whether Iran saw the avoidance of a wider conflict as in its best interests. Much of the world is absorbing the consequences of the strikes and the risk that they could lead to more fighting across the Middle East after the U.S. inserted itself into the war between Israel and Iran. Airstrikes starting on June 12 by Israel that targeted Iran's nuclear facilities and generals prompted retaliation from Iran, creating a series of events that contributed to the U.S. attack. While U.S. officials urged for caution and stressed that only nuclear sites were targeted by Washington, Iran criticized the actions as a violation of its sovereignty and international law. Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said Washington was 'fully responsible' for whatever actions Tehran may take in response. 'They crossed a very big red line by attacking nuclear facilities," he said at a news conference in Turkey. 'I don't know how much room is left for diplomacy.' China and Russia, where Araghchi was heading for talks with President Vladimir Putin, condemned the U.S. military action. The attacks were 'a gross violation of international law,' said Russia's Foreign Ministry, which also advocated 'returning the situation to a political and diplomatic course.' A Turkish Foreign Ministry statement warned about the risk of the conflict spreading to 'a global level.' British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the United Kingdom was moving military equipment into the area to protect its interests, people and allies, but that he was focused on finding a solution. The leaders of Italy, Canada, Germany and France agreed on the need 'a rapid resumption of negotiations.' France's Emmanuel Macron held talks with the Saudi crown prince and sultan of Oman. Iran could try to stop oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz, which could create the same kind of inflationary shocks that the world felt after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Oil prices have increased in the financial markets as the war between Israel and Iran had intensified, climbing by 21% over the past month. The Pentagon briefing did not provide any new details about Iran's nuclear capabilities. Hegseth said the timeline for the strikes was the result of a schedule set by Trump for talks with Iran about its nuclear ambitions. 'Iran found out" that when Trump "says 60 days that he seeks peace and negotiation, he means 60 days of peace and negotiation," Hegseth said. "Otherwise, that nuclear program, that new nuclear capability will not exist. He meant it.' That statement was complicated as the White House had suggested last Thursday that Trump could take as much as two weeks to determine whether to strike Iran or continue to pursue negotiations. But the U.S. benefited from Iran's weakened air defenses as it was able to conduct the attacks without resistance from Iran. 'Iran's fighters did not fly, and it appears that Iran's surface to air missile systems did not see us throughout the mission," Caine said. Hegseth said that a choice to move a number of B-2 bombers from their base in Missouri earlier Saturday was meant to be a decoy to throw off Iranians. He added that the U.S. used other methods of deception as well, deploying fighters to protect the B-2 bombers that dropped 14 bunker-buster bombs on Iran's site at Fordo. The strikes occurred Saturday between 6:40 pm and 7:05 pm in Washington, or roughly 2:10 am on Sunday in Iran. __ Associated Press writers Brian Melley and Elise Morton in London, Samuel Petrequin in Paris and Giada Zimpano in Rome contributed to this report. Mike Pesoli And Josh Boak, The Associated Press
