Europe Backs Israel Against Iran Despite Anger Over Gaza
LONDON—European governments, increasingly frustrated with Israel over the Gaza war, are giving Israel more diplomatic leeway in its showdown with Iran—at least for now.
Europe has been growing more outspoken against Israel's war in Gaza, with several European countries led by France drawing closer to defying Israel and the U.S. in recognizing a Palestinian state. Even Germany, Israel's most steadfast European ally, has criticized the Gaza campaign.
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CNN
10 minutes ago
- CNN
Inside Trump's decision to bail on the G7 early: A Middle East crisis and a distaste for group projects
It only took a few hours of summitry in the Canadian woods on Monday for President Donald Trump to decide he'd rather be elsewhere. Returning to Washington on an overnight flight, Trump attributed his decision to abruptly abandon the Group of 7 summit to operational security, suggesting there could be prying ears among the fir trees listening to his secret conversations. 'I don't believe in telephones, because people like you listen to them,' he told reporters on Air Force One. 'Being on the scene is much better, and we did everything I had to do at the G7.' Everything he had to do, yes. But not quite everything his counterparts had planned for him at the first international conference of his second term, where attempts to avoid open rupture were almost immediately scuttled the moment Trump first appeared before cameras to object to an 11-year-old decision to eject Russia from the group. Back in Washington on Tuesday, Trump was planning to meet with national security officials in the White House Situation Room to discuss the situation in the Middle East. He said as he was flying home he was seeking a 'real end' to the conflict rather than a ceasefire, and described himself as 'not too much in the mood to negotiate.' His vice president wrote on X that Trump 'may decide he needs to take further action to end Iranian enrichment,' hinting at increased US involvement in the escalating Israel-Iran conflict. And Trump issued a series of afternoon posts on Truth Social that seemed to take a more menacing posture toward Iran, noting the US knew the supreme leader's location and calling for 'UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!' Though he initially framed his departure from Alberta as a matter of great urgency, he told reporters heading back to Washington that the picture would be clearer on Israel's intentions 'over the next two days.' If there was a imminent and specific reason for his abrupt departure, he and aides didn't reveal it. If one thing was clear, it was Trump's belief that the Middle East crisis wouldn't be resolved in the woods of Canada. Though he was surrounded by his foreign counterparts, Trump appeared to give little weight to the idea of collective action, believing instead it was his decisions – and his alone – that could determine the fate of the region. A day earlier, European leaders had been scrambling to complete a joint leaders' statement calling for de-escalation between Israel and Iran. They'd met resistance from US officials, who objected to some of the language in the draft and signaled that Trump would not sign on, officials familiar with the matter said. By the time a leaders' dinner rolled around late Monday — hours after Trump announced he would be departing a day early — some of the language in the statement had been watered down. With some urging from his counterparts over their meal, Trump said he would sign off, two US officials said. But as he returned to Washington, he seemed mostly uninterested in the details. He said he hadn't read the document. Never one for group meetings, nor particularly fond of rustic lodges, Trump had wavered on attending this week's G7 at all. Organizers took pains to adjust the schedule and expectations to meet Trump's preferences, Western officials said. Instead of a lengthy joint communiqué to issue at the summit's conclusion, shorter statements on individual topics were prepared in the hopes a few disputed lines would not scupper a broader show of unity. And instead of stacking the agenda with back-to-back group sessions, which even presidents before Trump have described as tedious, time was left for more lively one-on-ones that would allow leaders to engage Trump informally. The goal: don't let Trump get bored. That, many European officials believe, is when disaster can strike. Trump's aides said before the summit began that foreign leaders were scrambling to meet him, in part to make their case on trade deals that could avoid punishing new tariffs next month. And it did appear as if the line to engage Trump stretched well out the door of the Kananaskis Mountain Lodge. Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney began by wishing Trump a happy birthday. Other leaders came armed with gifts. The president of the European Council, António Costa, handed Trump a Portugal shirt signed by soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo. Trade — the topic Trump came to Canada to discuss — was indeed discussed. After avoiding her for months, Trump finally sat for talks with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as they work out terms of a trade deal. And he was eager to showcase a new trade pact with the United Kingdom, though he mistakenly identified it as an agreement with the European Union and the papers fell all over the ground as he was showing them to reporters. 'A very important document,' Prime Minister Keir Starmer deadpanned after bending down to scoop up the signed agreement. But all of the individual attention was not enough to keep Trump in Canada. By mid-afternoon, it was clear to aides he wanted to leave early, a White House official said. The crisis in the Middle East had preoccupied the president, who constantly asked for updates amid the meetings, the official said. 'As soon as I leave here, we're going to be doing something. But I have to leave here,' he said during his appearance with Starmer, suggesting he was under pressure to depart. Trump's counterparts tried to take the news in stride. 'I am very grateful for the president's presence and I fully understand why he is leaving,' Carney said as he and Trump departed the summit's ritual family photo. French President Emmanuel Macron described Trump's early departure as a positive sign, saying there had been an offer 'to get a ceasefire and to then kick-start broader discussions' between Iran and Israel. Trump denied that as he was departing, calling Macron 'publicity seeking' and misinformed. 'Whether purposely or not, Emmanuel always gets it wrong,' Trump wrote as his plane was taxiing in Calgary, having just left Macron and the other leaders behind in the mountains. In the sky above the airport, a plane carrying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky — who had been planning to meet Trump on Tuesday — was waiting to land. The two men did not cross paths.
Fox News
10 minutes ago
- Fox News
IDF spokesman vows Israel's mission is clear: ‘Remove the threat at any source'
All times eastern Making Money with Charles Payne FOX News Radio Live Channel Coverage WATCH LIVE: State Dept holds briefing as Trump warns Iran's supreme leader
Fox News
10 minutes ago
- Fox News
Vance defends Trump's Iran position amid 'crazy stuff on social media'
Vice President JD Vance on Monday defended President Donald Trump's position on Iran in response to what he described as "crazy" accusations on social media. "Look, I'm seeing this from the inside, and am admittedly biased towards our president (and my friend), but there's a lot of crazy stuff on social media, so I wanted to address some things directly on the Iran issue," Vance wrote on X. He said Trump "has been amazingly consistent, over 10 years, that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. "Over the last few months, he encouraged his foreign policy team to reach a deal with the Iranians to accomplish this goal. The president has made clear that Iran cannot have uranium enrichment. And he said repeatedly that this would happen one of two ways--the easy way or the 'other' way." The vice president said he saw "a lot of confusion" online over the issue of "civilian nuclear power" and "uranium enrichment." "These are distinct issues. Iran could have civilian nuclear power without enrichment, but Iran rejected that," Vance said. "Meanwhile, they've enriched uranium far above the level necessary for any civilian purpose. They've been found in violation of their non-proliferation obligations by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which is hardly a rightwing organization. "It's one thing to want civilian nuclear energy. It's another thing to demand sophisticated enrichment capacity. And it's still another to cling to enrichment while simultaneously violating basic non-proliferation obligations and enriching right to the point of weapons-grade uranium." Vance said he's yet to see "a single good argument for why Iran needed to enrich uranium well above the threshold for civilian use" and "for why Iran was justified in violating its non-proliferation obligations." "I've yet to see a single good pushback against the IAEA's findings," he wrote. "Meanwhile, the president has shown remarkable restraint in keeping our military's focus on protecting our troops and protecting our citizens. He may decide he needs to take further action to end Iranian enrichment. That decision ultimately belongs to the president. "And of course, people are right to be worried about foreign entanglement after the last 25 years of idiotic foreign policy. But I believe the president has earned some trust on this issue. And having seen this up close and personal, I can assure you that he is only interested in using the American military to accomplish American people's goals. Whatever he does, that is his focus." Trump on Tuesday took to TRUTH Social to call for an "UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER" from Iran on the fifth day since Israel launched its preemptive attacks on Iranian nuclear sites and leadership. The United States has been surging assets to the Middle East and reportedly helped Israel block Iranian counter-strikes. Trump left the G7 summit in Canada early Monday to head back to Washington, D.C., for a Situation Room meeting on Iran Tuesday afternoon. "We know exactly where the so-called 'Supreme Leader' is hiding," Trump wrote earlier Tuesday in a social media post. "He is an easy target, but is safe there - We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now. But we don't want missiles shot at civilians, or American soldiers. Our patience is wearing thin. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" Trump said Tuesday that the United States and Israel have "complete and total control of the skies over Iran."
