Trump has been repeating his narrative that there is no need to negotiate with Iran, while at the same time seeking, by emphasizing nuclear-related claims, to divert public attention from the criminal consequences of the attack on a wedding ceremony in Sirik. Continuing this narrative, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that the European Union had formally joined the so-called “economic expulsion” operation against Iran, while the European Commission has spoken of additional economic pressure to force Tehran to change its behavior. At the same time, Kaja Kallas, the EU’s foreign policy chief, has stressed cooperation with Washington to increase pressure on Iran, invoking the need to “ensure freedom of navigation” in the Strait of Hormuz. London, following the same course, has also announced that its finance minister held talks with the US Treasury secretary on stepping up economic pressure on Tehran.
Europe: An Alliance Sanctioning Itself More Than Iran
Washington is seeking, by emphasizing Europe’s support, to project an image of a global consensus taking shape against Iran. But the reality on the ground tells a different story. America’s reliance on a Europe that has shown virtually no independent will in confronting Washington is less evidence of an ability to build consensus than proof of the limits of that ability. Even at the G20 summit, efforts to impose Washington’s sanctions-based approach failed to secure the consensus the US sought, while the Shanghai summit underscored support for Iran and opposition to unilateralism.
Europe is once again repeating its long-standing paradox: claiming strategic autonomy while, in practice, following Washington’s decisions. This “selling of independence” has so far brought Europe little but costs. Dependence on the US has saddled Europe with hundreds of billions of dollars in costs over the Ukraine war, while Washington has simultaneously exploited Europe’s dependence on US markets and energy through trade tariffs and economic pressure. Trump has even explicitly called for Europeans to bear the cost of supporting Ukraine.
On the other side, the Israeli regime has also paid little heed to European demands to halt settlement construction in the West Bank. Europe pays the price for its eagerness to please, yet gains concessions from neither Washington nor Tel Aviv.
Europe on the Brink of Crisis: Cost of a Risky Choice
This alignment is taking place as the European economy grapples with mounting crises. Economic institutions have warned of a prolonged energy crisis, while a fresh wave of bond selling has pushed the cost of borrowing for the British government to its highest level in 18 years. At the same time, according to data from the European gas storage aggregation system cited by the Financial Times, EU gas storage facilities were only 65.6 percent full as of September 3, the lowest level recorded for this point in the year in the past 15 years.
Under such circumstances, Europe’s entry into America’s economic war against Iran could be viewed less as a display of strength than as a form of strategic self-sanctioning, a move that could intensify energy, inflationary and social pressures while potentially creating conditions for political instability and the rise of extremist forces.
Illusion of Breaking Iran: A Reality That Collapses in Hormuz
Another part of this policy rests on a mental calculation: that economic pressure can break Iranian society’s resilience and pave the way for unrest, insecurity and the fragmentation of the country. The statements by Trump and Bessent, along with Western media efforts to portray Iran’s economy in a bleak light, point to this calculation. Some European capitals appear to have embraced the same assumption, believing that economic pressure can weaken Iran and ultimately wrest control of the Strait of Hormuz from Tehran.
But this perception is deeply disconnected from realities on the ground. On the one hand, Europe claims to defend freedom of navigation, while on the other, Kallas speaks of increasing confrontations with Russian vessels and restricting its maritime trade. On the one hand, Europe calls for freedom of energy trade; on the other, it pursues sanctions against Russian energy.
The question is straightforward: If Iran is expected to relinquish its rights to legitimate self-defense and management of the Strait of Hormuz on the pretext of freedom of navigation, why can Europe, in the name of security, restrict Russia’s maritime trade routes? This double standard above all exposes the hollowness of Europe’s claims regarding international law.
Hormuz: Where the Dream of Sanctions Becomes Europe’s Nightmare
The display of US and European sanctions power has encountered serious obstacles before achieving its intended result. The opposition of many countries to Washington’s unilateralism at the G20, as well as the positions of China, Russia and India at the Shanghai summit and their emphasis on refusing to support unilateral sanctions, show that the emerging global order is no longer receptive to imposed Western prescriptions.
At the same time, Trump’s claim that 18 million barrels of oil pass through the Strait of Hormuz each day has been called into question by reports and satellite imagery. Meanwhile, logistical pressure on the US Navy in the region and the growing difficulty of supplying fuel and provisions have increased the cost of Washington’s military presence.
If oil moves toward $100 a barrel and the crisis in US financial and bond markets intensifies, the consequences of this confrontation will not be confined to Iran. Its effects will be transmitted directly to the economies of the US and Europe and, ultimately, to the livelihoods of their citizens.
For Iran, Hormuz is not merely a waterway; it is part of the region’s balance of power and security equation. If Europe has entered this arena under the illusion that it can prevail in America’s economic war against Iran, it should understand that before forcing Iran to retreat, it may put its own economic interests and security at stake in this very strait
The mirage of victory in the economic war against Iran may ultimately disappear not in Tehran, but in the waters of Hormuz, where the cost of Europe’s choices will, sooner or later, come back to Europe itself.
NOURNEWS