Trump ‘gambling with lives’ in Iran, top EU lawmaker Neumann tells Euronews
EU Official Condemns Trump’s Iran War as Life-Threatening Gamble
Hannah Neumann, a German Greens representative and head of the European Parliament’s Iran delegation, has expressed concern over President Donald Trump’s actions in the Middle East. She claims the U.S. leader is putting the lives of 90 million Iranians at risk, as tensions in the region intensify.
Unclear Objectives and Contradictory Statements
Neumann criticized Trump for making inconsistent claims about the war’s purpose, stating that the president assured support for Iranian protesters before launching the military operation. She referenced the January crackdown on demonstrators, which began over a currency crisis and expanded to political dissent.
“I cannot endorse a war when I don’t know what the strategy is, and the Iranians clearly deserve better.”
Trump recently claimed the conflict would end “very soon,” without specifying a timeline, conflicting with earlier estimates of a four to five-week duration. He also left ambiguity about whether the goal is to replace the mullah regime or achieve a gradual shift similar to Venezuela’s situation.
Hardliners Maintain Power
Amidst the turmoil, the Iranian regime has shown resilience. A gathering of clerical figures recently confirmed Mojtaba Khamenei, the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s second son, as his successor. Neumann called this move “a signal of continuity and further repression,” noting it contradicts the hopes of Iranians for change.
“This is clearly not what Iranians had hoped for.”
She emphasized that regime change must emerge from within, supported by a united coalition both inside and outside the country. “This cannot come from bombs alone,” she said, stressing the need for a new vision.
EU’s Divided Approach
The European Union has struggled to present a unified stance on the conflict. While Spain and Slovenia strongly criticized the initial US-Israeli strikes on Tehran, other member states have been more reserved. Madrid labeled the operation as “illegal and escalatory,” highlighting the bloc’s internal divisions.
“We should work together with the Gulf countries to push for de-escalation towards Trump and Israel, to clearly make them understand what they are gambling with.”
Neumann urged the EU to focus not just on Iran but also on the United States and Israel, advocating for collaboration with Gulf nations to clarify objectives and foster dialogue. “The question is how many of its own people and how much of the region are they dragging into the abyss,” she concluded.
