SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
The U.S. and Israel initially attacked Iran without the support of other allies. Since last Saturday, there has been a mix of reaction around the world from condemnation to tepid support. We're now joined by NPR's Berlin correspondent Rob Schmitz. Rob, thanks for being with us.
ROB SCHMITZ, BYLINE: Good morning, Scott.
SIMON: Let's begin with the public reaction in Germany, where you're based. What's that been?
SCHMITZ: Well, among the German public, there's a lot of concern about all aspects of this unfolding war, whether it was legally waged, whether Europe will be dragged into it, how this will impact energy prices. These worries sort of run the gamut. A poll taken about the initial attack on Iran showed 59% of Germans were opposed to U.S. and Israeli actions. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz had a prescheduled visit to the White House this week on Tuesday, which put him in a sort of awkward position of needing to show a certain degree of deference to President Trump so that Europe can be at the negotiating table between Russia and Ukraine to end that war. But he also needed to communicate how Europe hoped this war with Iran would end quickly, and here's what he said.
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CHANCELLOR FRIEDRICH MERZ: We are supporting the United States and Israel to get rid of this terrible terrorist regime, and we are looking forward to a day after, and we have to talk about...
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: Yeah.
MERZ: ...The strategy, what is following after this regime.
SIMON: That was the German chancellor, but prime minister of Spain had a different reaction.
SCHMITZ: He certainly did. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez was the European leader who was most critical of the Trump administration, Israel and their attacks on Iran.
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PRIME MINISTER PEDRO SANCHEZ: (Speaking Spanish).
SCHMITZ: And, Scott, he's saying here that the world has seen this type of conflict before when the U.S. attacked Iraq, promising democracy and stability. He said the conflict only led to a rise in jihadist terrorism, a migration crisis in Europe and higher energy prices. He accused President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of using the smoke of war to hide their own failures and, in the process, lining the pockets, he said, of the few who will profit from this war. So Sanchez's comments quickly went viral and gained a lot of popular support in Europe and beyond.
SIMON: So there's clearly a divide. And is Europe able to do anything about that difference of opinion other than put out statements right now?
SCHMITZ: Yeah. You know, there's a sense here in Europe that the U.S. and Israel are going about their own way and that Europeans are going to suffer many of the consequences of this war. Prices at the pump here in Germany are up 20% from a week ago, and it now costs around $8 per gallon here. Chancellor Merz warned President Trump about this war creating another migration crisis in Europe. So there's worry about the spillover from more instability in the Middle East.
In the U.K., Prime Minister Keir Starmer is sending troops to defend British interests, and he said this war in Iran has plunged the Middle East into chaos. Meanwhile, EU Foreign Affairs Chief Kaja Kallas said this week that Ukraine is sharing strategies and know-how about how to shoot down Iranian drones with European trading partners in the Gulf who've been attacked. So, you know, Europe is doing what it can to defend the region and maintain some sort of stability, but there is a lot of skepticism on the continent about where this war is headed and what the consequences could be for the rest of the world.
SIMON: NPR's Rob Schmitz. Thanks so much for being with us.
SCHMITZ: Thanks, Scott. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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