Senior officials in Jerusalem are sharply criticizing European governments, accusing them of relying almost entirely on diplomacy while failing to help secure the Strait of Hormuz or defend Gulf states under Iranian threat. According to Israeli sources, Britain and France seem more concerned about rising energy prices than about confronting Iran.

Senior Israeli officials expressed sharp criticism of European countries for their unwillingness to contribute to the US-Israeli war against Iran.

The officials emphasized that Europe’s long-standing approach toward Iran is now backfiring across the region—yet European leaders show no sign of reassessing their strategy.

Europe is not stepping up to help keep shipping lanes open in the Strait of Hormuz, nor is it contributing meaningfully to the defense of Gulf states. “Not only is Europe failing to help — it’s doing almost nothing behind the scenes. This is Europe’s ugliest hour,” one official told Ynet.

The same official said Europe remains fixated on the Russia‑Ukraine war, channeling most of its resources there and avoiding deeper involvement in the Middle East. He also noted European frustration over reports that U.S. President Donald Trump may ease sanctions on Russia to stabilize oil prices—a move Europeans view as undermining Ukraine and edging closer to Moscow.

Israeli officials say Europe understands the danger posed by Iran but refuses to take meaningful action beyond issuing diplomatic statements. “Talk without a credible military option deters no one. Europe understands the danger—but there is no willingness to act,” one senior official said.

Even quiet cooperation, they say, is minimal. “Very little is happening behind the scenes. There is some intelligence sharing—for example, Britain’s MI6 assisting the Mossad and the CIA — but beyond that, there is almost no real involvement,” the official added.

Another Israeli official noted that Europe previously helped advance the Iran nuclear deal, which focused narrowly on the nuclear issue while ignoring Iran’s ballistic missiles and regional terror networks. In his view, that policy enabled Iran to advance on multiple fronts simultaneously.

“France and Britain are acting like doormats when it comes to the Strait of Hormuz as well,” the official said. “There is no real European mobilization to protect this critical shipping route. Instead of seeing this as a historic opportunity to curb Iran’s influence, they’re mainly worried about energy prices.”

Europe’s actions on the ground have been minimal. “France sent an aircraft carrier to the Strait of Hormuz, and Britain sent a minesweeper — and that’s basically it. It’s a very weak response,” one source said.

Officials also pointed out that when Iran attacked Cyprus — an EU member state — Europe offered no significant reaction. Meanwhile, the EU is providing humanitarian aid to Lebanese civilians fleeing Beirut’s Dahiya district, but not to Israel.

However, the same sources say concern is growing within Europe about potential spillover. “Europeans are very worried about possible attacks by sleeper cells acting on Tehran’s orders,” one official said.

He added that Germany is the only European country to have taken notable steps so far. “The Germans have significantly increased security around Israeli embassies and Jewish institutions. Their response has been clear and swift.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)