Volker urges European leaders to tread carefully with Trump on Iran

Former NATO envoy Kurt Volker tells POLITICO that European leaders should avoid public condemnations of President Trump’s Iran policy, arguing such criticisms could alienate him and strain the transatlantic alliance. He advocates a tactful, pro‑Trump approach—being courteous or complimentary—citing leaders like Mark Rutte as examples. Volker also defends the 2018 Iran deal withdrawal as flawed but necessary, stresses Iran’s enduring nuclear ambitions, and warns Europe not to provoke Trump while still managing the war’s fallout and NATO-base tensions in the region.