The U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran on February 28 tends to expose the myth of the transatlantic alliance. When major NATO countries refused to support the U.S. attack on Iraq in March 2003, a similar situation emerged; now, Europe has expressed its unwillingness to side with America in its war with Iran. This indicates a fractured Atlantic alliance. Despite the request of U.S. President Donald Trump for NATO members to send their naval ships to open the Strait of Hormuz, Europe is unwilling to support America.

Following the Munich Security Conference (MSC) held in February 2026, the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran on February 28 reflects the worsening security situation in the Persian Gulf and West Asia. The U.S.-Israeli attack and the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, along with top military leadership, will be a test case of Western strategic consensus since the U.S.-Britain attack on Iraq in March 2003. To what extent European powers will support the U.S. and Israel against Iran is yet to be seen.

Unlike 2025, when U.S. Vice-President J.D. Vance, in his address, shattered strategic consensus among Western countries by undermining NATO and criticising Europe over its immigration and free speech issues, in 2026, Marco Rubio, the American Foreign Secretary, while delivering his keynote address at the MSC, stated that “the fate of Europe will never be irrelevant to our own. Ultimately, our destiny is, and will always be, intertwined with yours.” The German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul welcomed Rubio’s forward-looking approach for strengthening the transatlantic alliance.

The Munich Security Conference, held every year, is a major event in which participants engage in brainstorming sessions on global security-related issues. Certainly, the United States holds a key position in the Atlantic alliance, and its withdrawal will impact Europe’s security concerns. The war in Ukraine is a major challenge, as pointed out by Volodymyr Zelensky in his address at the MSC, noting that before the fourth anniversary of the Russian attack, thousands of people had been killed, leading to the displacement of millions in eastern Ukraine.

Strategic consensus in the Atlantic alliance is imperative for stable Euro-U.S. relations. Unfortunately, during the first and second terms of U.S. President Donald Trump, Europe expressed its dismay over the manner in which Washington undermined the role of NATO and asserted its claim over Greenland, a part of Denmark.

Yet, damage-control measures taken by the U.S. and Europe to........

© The Friday Times