Once viewed as MAGA allies, some European nationalists distance themselves from Trump's Iran war

Several prominent European nationalist and right-wing political figures, who were previously aligned with former U.S. President Donald Trump's "America First" agenda, are now publicly distancing themselves from his administration's military escalation against Iran. This strategic shift is occurring across Europe in early 2025, driven by a growing revulsion toward the prospect of a major Middle Eastern war and a desire to protect their own political credibility from the fallout of a conflict they view as destabilizing and dangerous. The rupture represents a significant fracture within the transnational populist coalition that many observers believed would reshape global politics. Figures like France's Marine Le Pen, Italy's Matteo Salvini, and representatives of Germany's Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), who once found common cause with Trump's nationalist rhetoric and skepticism of multilateral institutions, are now openly criticizing the march toward war. Their condemnation focuses on the humanitarian and geopolitical chaos it would unleash, fearing massive refugee flows into Europe and the destabilization of energy markets, which are direct threats to their core anti-immigration and economic stability platforms. This distancing is not merely rhetorical but signals a profound recalculations of interests. For these European parties, domestic political survival now outweighs international ideological camaraderie. Being tied to an unpopular foreign war could alienate their voter base, which, while skeptical of globalism, is also largely war-weary and prioritizes national stability. The anticipated 'new international order' of nationalist allies acting in concert has collided with the harsh reality of divergent national interests and the unpredictable consequences of U.S. foreign policy under Trump's potential return to power. The alliance, built on opposition to immigration and the European Union, appears insufficient to withstand the centrifugal forces of a major military conflict.