Despite political friction with the Trump administration over escalation and legal framing, several European governments are now raising practical support for the campaign against Iran—mostly through defensive and logistical measures (bases access, air defence, naval deployments) rather than direct participation in strikes.
Unified report (English)
France: temporary access to bases (operational shift).
France’s military said it has temporarily authorised the presence of U.S. aircraft on some French bases in the Middle East, describing this as part of its relationship with Washington and tied to protecting France’s Gulf partners.
Italy: air-defence systems headed to the Gulf (Meloni).
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Italy plans to send air-defence aid to Gulf states after Iranian strikes, framing it as defensive support to protect Italian nationals and troops in the region and to mitigate energy-security risks for Italy and Europe.
Germany: political alignment, military restraint.
Germany’s line remains non-participation in offensive strikes, while coordinating with key European partners and backing defensive measures and regional protection efforts—part of a broader European posture that is moving closer to “support the effort, but defensively.”
Canada: “cannot rule out” involvement (adds Western weight).
Outside Europe, Canadian PM Mark Carney said he cannot rule out a military role if the conflict expands, even as he previously raised legal concerns—adding political weight to a widening Western support lane.
(Analysis)
What’s changing is not rhetoric alone, but operational permissions and deployments: base access (France), air-defence transfers (Italy), and a European pattern of “defence-first coalition behaviour”—easier to defend domestically while still materially enabling the campaign and protecting Gulf partners and maritime routes.
Reuters
