Europe's patience wanes

Key Points:

• German Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticized the Iranian regime for humiliating the U.S. through stalled negotiations, expressing hope for a swift end to the conflict involving the Iranian Revolutionary Guards.
• European leaders, including Merz, British PM Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Italian PM Giorgia Meloni, have voiced concerns about being drawn into the Middle East war and fear it could become a prolonged conflict similar to Afghanistan and Iraq.
• The ongoing Iran conflict has strained European economies, particularly energy-importing countries, as they face increased competition and higher prices for oil and gas due to disrupted supplies from the Middle East and Russia.
• U.S. negotiations with Iran have stalled, with President Trump canceling a planned trip to Islamabad; Iran has offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz if the U.S. lifts its blockade and ends the war, but the White House is reportedly preparing a counter-offer.
• Former NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg warned of the unpredictability and potential escalation of wars, highlighting the significant human and economic costs amid simultaneous conflicts in Iran and Ukraine.