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Europe Today: Iran war intensifies as Trump signals prolonged fight
Watch Europe Today as we bring you the latest developments and reactions to day four of the Iran war. Live from 8 am Brussels time.
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Watch Europe Today as we bring you the latest developments and reactions to day four of the Iran war. Live from 8 am Brussels time.
READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2026/03/03/europe-today-iran-war-intensifies-as-trump-signals-prolonged-fight
Subscribe to our channel. Euronews is available on Dailymotion in 12 languages
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NewsTranscript
00:14Good morning, it is Tuesday the 3rd of March. I'm Maeve McMahan and this is Europe Today,
00:20your daily update of European news and analysis, live here on Euronews.
00:25Coming up, it is day four of the US-Israel war on Iran. In his first public appearance since the
00:32launch of Operation Epic Fury, President Donald Trump said the US is meeting its objectives ahead
00:37of schedule. But he warned the war could go on for far longer than thought. Last night,
00:44Israeli strikes pounded Tehran, hitting residential buildings, hospitals and police stations in
00:49attacks that seemed designed to cause maximum damage. In retaliation, Iran has been launching
00:54air attacks on countries across the region, including strikes on Qatari and Saudi energy
00:59facilities. Meanwhile, here in Brussels, EU efforts focus on supporting and repatriating
01:05EU citizens caught up in the Middle East and reducing the risk of transport disruption around
01:10the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea. For more on the ongoing situation, which is looking like a
01:15dangerous circle of violence, I'm joined here in the studio by Maria Tadeo. That's our EU news editor.
01:19So what's the latest for us, Maria?
01:21Well, yes, Maeve, it's day four, and it seems to be a fire and fury that continues. This is
01:27certainly a war that is being both in intensity and the scale continues to get bigger. Of course,
01:36if you thought that this was going to be a quick operation by now, manifestly, it is clear
01:39it is not. If you look at the latest information, as you say, the Israelis now confirmed that there
01:45were fresh strikes on Tehran, but also in Beirut. In Lebanon, the idea forces are saying, and this
01:52is in a statement, that they are conducting simultaneous operations in both Tehran and
01:58Beirut. But also when you look at the US, a warning from President Trump yesterday saying that
02:03depending now on the moves from Iran, the biggest hit perhaps is yet to come. The other important
02:10thing is the timeline, of course, not just for the US and Israel who are leading this operation,
02:16but also the Gulf who are now bearing a lot of the retaliation from Iran, the US intending now,
02:22they say, a war, an operation that could last four to five weeks. But of course, the question is whether
02:27that is really going to be the case or ultimately, is this becoming a never ending war? Yesterday,
02:32pushback from the US administration and Israeli that they will not enter an endless war.
02:37And meanwhile, of course, the Commission held emergency security talks. They discussed a number
02:40of issues, the repatriation of EU citizens, energy, a potential spike in migration flows.
02:45Yeah, absolutely. And this is a war not without consequences on the EU. The question, of course,
02:50is what role can the Europeans play already? When you look at countries like France, Germany,
02:54the UK, they did say they will protect interest and a lot of their own alliances in the Gulf to
02:59protect
03:00themselves. But also, Maeve, the energy market yesterday, there was a massive spike because of a facility
03:06hit of LNG in Qatar that can have a big ramifications on energy prices on a single day
03:12prices of 50%. That effort to repatriate European citizens continue. But we know that the situation
03:17has been shambolic, certainly across the Gulf. And you pointed to migration. What we understand is
03:23that yesterday, the Migration Commissioner had a meeting with his Turkish counterpart.
03:28Okay, Maria Tiseo, Euronews' EU weather. Thank you so much for all those details, as always. And as you
03:34heard there, there was concern, in fact, that the war was edging closer to the European Union, with Greece
03:38announcing it would send warships and fighter jets to defend Cyprus, which is home, of course, to two
03:44British military bases. For more, we can cross now to Greece and bring in Euronews correspondent,
03:49Ioannis Kighinis, who's standing by for us. Good morning, Ioannis. Just tell us, what is the mood there
03:54in Greece this morning, with the government sending frigates to help defend Cyprus? Are people actually
03:58preparing for a war?
04:02No, no, absolutely not. The war is far away. And, you know, we know that we have 13 countries that
04:11have been involved already, and maybe the last of one seems to be Cyprus. But now it's clear that it
04:16was Cyprus that was targeted yesterday. It was the British bases in Cyprus. And to be
04:24honest, we are now sure that even now, they don't believe that they will continue, because
04:31it's clear from the Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, from the UK, that no Americans have been involved
04:37in what's going on in Cyprus and the British bases there. But the Greek government has sent
04:44frigates and also has sent four F-16 aircraft in order to guarantee the safety of Cyprus.
04:51Of course, there is a strong relation between Cyprus and Greece. Greece is one of the country
04:57that guarantees the safety of Cyprus. But if you talk with people in Athens, but also in
05:02Nicosia, you will understand that they are not afraid of a straight involvement in this
05:08world. They are more afraid about the cost of life, the consequences of the war, the ongoing
05:14war. Gas and oil is already rising in Greece. And apart from that, many people believe that
05:23we have the same with other products, maybe even with food supplies. At the same time, we
05:29have the tourists who many people believe that will not be at the same amount as it was last
05:36year in Greece and in Cyprus and in this Mediterranean. And as you said there before,
05:42we are expecting maybe a migrant crisis. So we have to handle this from the Greek government because
05:49there are many refugees there. Okay, Oenis, thank you so much for that live update there from Athens.
05:55Well, now moving on, President Trump has said for now he is not ruling out sending troops on the
05:59ground. But not everyone agrees with this. For the view from the former CIA boss and the lead general
06:04who oversaw U.S. troops in Iraq, Your News' Mered Gwynne-Jones spoke to General David Petraeus.
06:09She started by asking him if he expected a Venezuela scenario in Iran.
06:14I think the answer to that is yes. And I think that it is possible. It's conceivable. I don't know
06:20that it is the most likely outcome. So again, I think we have to be cautious about our hopes that
06:26a
06:26pragmatic figure could emerge. It's by no means impossible. Kareem Saadjapur, the great Iranian
06:32analyst here in the United States has noted that it used to be that the regime was comprised of 80
06:37%
06:38true believers, true ideologues, hardliners, and 20% charlatans are called. They're just basically
06:46opportunists trying to get what they can by being part of the regime. But now it's 20% hardliners and
06:5380% charlatans. So the possibility is there, certainly, that someone could emerge who might
06:59say, look, Mr. President, you're right. What the nuclear program and the arming of proxies and our
07:06killing of Americans and Arabs and Israelis has brought us is ruined. And we see the error of our
07:14ways and we want to sail straight. We want to get along with our neighbors and those in the region
07:20and
07:20with you. And we're willing to give up our aspirations in all these cases. That would
07:26obviously be a very dramatic departure. Do you think that this could extend into a prolonged
07:33war? We saw the war secretary, Pete Hegseth, today refusing to rule out potentially troops on the
07:40ground. Do you think that this could evolve into something more dangerous, more spiraling than the
07:46U.S. may be originally intended? No, I think the president and the secretary and others have been
07:51very clear that we're not going to put boots on the ground. And frankly, I think that as the days
07:57go
07:57by, while noting that there is still a very real possibility of additional casualties, again, those in
08:04host nations, those in Israel, those of American forces and others, that over time, there will be a
08:11degradation of the ability of Iran to retaliate, will continue to reduce their missile stocks,
08:19the launchers, the short range missiles, and even the drones. So I think they will be hard pressed
08:26to maintain even remotely what the pace has been by Iran so far. We are seeing general also European
08:35nations talking about potentially supporting the defensive capacities of the U.S., including the
08:41U.K. Do you think President Trump is expecting the support of its European allies here and is
08:47counting on them to support this operation in some way? I think the plan that was conceived was
08:54essentially the U.S. and Israel and then the host nations in the region whose air and ballistic
09:01missile defenses are always integrated into those of the U.S. and Israel. I don't think there was an
09:07assumption made that the Europeans would join in. It would have been good if they had, at least for
09:13defensive purposes from the very beginning, because it's very clear, it should have been clear at the
09:17outset, that Iran is not going to limit its targets to just U.S. bases, Israel, and so forth. It's
09:26going
09:27after civilian targets, airfields, ports, and so forth in the Gulf states and beyond, and reaching as
09:34far as Cyprus, as you noted. So I think from a purely defensive standpoint, that would have been wise
09:40from the beginning. The question now is whether or not they go on the offensive and start contributing
09:46to taking down the retaliatory capabilities of the U.S. and Israel.
09:52Finally, General, is that something that you can foresee happening, European nations joining in a
09:57more offensive capacity? My understanding is that that has been discussed. I don't know that I'd
10:03predict what the outcome would be, but the fact that it's just being discussed, I think, indicates that
10:08it's certainly a possibility.
10:13And you can catch the rest of that interview with General David Petraeus on Euronews' 12 Minutes
10:18programme. But now, as we've been reporting, the war has spiralled into a number of Gulf capitals and
10:23cities in the past few days by Chayne, Dubai, Doha. All major transit hubs and tourist and investment
10:29magnets now finding themselves caught up in the middle of the war. For more, we can cross over to Doha
10:34now
10:34and bring in Euronews correspondent Adele Halim. Tell us, what is the situation there this morning,
10:38this Tuesday morning?
10:41We're now at the day four of this increasingly widening war, which has seen a major military
10:45escalation over the last 24 hours. It will undoubtedly cause a major generational shift in relationships
10:51across the Middle East. Just around 2 a.m. last night, we heard multiple Iranian missiles intercepted
10:58overhead here in Doha. And now the Qatar and the U.K. are actively intercepting incoming missiles
11:04on the sea away from the coast. The Qatar's Minister of Defense had shot down two Iranian
11:11fighters, five ballistic missiles, and five drones as well overnight, calling the targeting of the
11:17country territory reckless and irresponsible. Now, the conflict has now expanded beyond military
11:22sites. The U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia was struck just by two drones early this morning. This comes on
11:27the heels of an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait, which has now closed indefinitely. Meanwhile,
11:33Iran has come under heavy fire from the U.S. and Israel overnight, as U.S. Secretary of State,
11:38Michael Rubio, says the hardest hits. Are you up to the pump? Now, here in Doha, the airspace remains
11:42closed, and the shelter-in-place order remains in effect. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will hold a
11:48press briefing shortly this afternoon, and we'll continue to monitor this developing story.
11:53Okay, Adele, Halim, thank you so much for all those details. And now, our Jakob Yanis takes a look at
11:59this new reality for Gulf State, countries that have since now shielded themselves from the strife
12:03in the Middle East.
12:06If you hear this unmistakable buzzing sound, you should know you are in trouble.
12:15And recent videos from Bahrain and Dubai show a terrifying new reality. Open source intelligence
12:21quickly confirmed what they are. Iranian Shahed drones. And Iran is now firing these weapons
12:28across the entire region. Should you be worried? You see, the danger is not the technology. It
12:36is the price tag. Iran uses their sheer volume to overwhelm advanced defense shields. And it
12:43is completely unsustainable to fire a million-dollar interceptor at a cheap drone. And by launching
12:51massive waves, Iran can effectively bankrupt a billion-dollar air defense grid. And the Shahed
12:57is the AK-47 of the skies. It carries a deadly explosive payload, but relies on low-tech parts.
13:06After supplying thousands of these to Moscow, Iran watched how Russia used them in Ukraine.
13:12And now Tehran is bringing those exact sworn tactics back to the Middle East.
13:18And from Iranian territory, these drones can reach almost anywhere, casting a shadow over the entire
13:25region. Depending on the model, the range goes up to 2,500 kilometers, covering everything from the
13:32Mediterranean coast to the farthest reaches of the Arabian Peninsula.
13:38With Shahed's threatening U.S. military bases, oil refineries, and tourist hubs, it seems no one is safe.
13:46But a blueprint exists to stop them. A multi-layered anti-drone air defenses, electronic warfare,
13:53and new interceptor drones helped Ukraine achieve an over 80% interception rate. With President Zelensky
14:01saying Russia has launched close to 60,000 Shahed-type attack drones against Ukraine, one question arises.
14:10Is the Middle East ready to intercept a similar wave?
14:19Jakob Janis reporting for us there. Now, the German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is en route to the
14:25U.S. for talks with the U.S. President Donald Trump. The trip that was meant to focus on trade
14:30and the
14:31war in Ukraine will now be dominated by escalation in the Middle East. We've seen this morning a number
14:35of German newspapers calling on the Chancellor to put pressure on the U.S. President to respect
14:40international law. For more, I'm joined here in the studio by Euronews' Stefan Krovey.
14:45Good morning, Stefan.
14:46Good morning, Maeve.
14:47So this war has, of course, thrown the agenda upside down of Friedrich Merz. So what should we
14:51expect today?
14:52Well, first of all, this trip was planned a long time ago under very, very different circumstances
14:57and has now been turned upside down, as you said. All of a sudden, Merz's trip is now a balancing
15:03act.
15:04Now, before departing Berlin, he made sure to voice his support for the U.S. and Israeli
15:10strikes against Iran and he condemned the Iranian retaliatory strikes against Iran's neighbors in
15:17the Gulf and Israel. I think it's fair to say that given decades of unsuccessful attempts to bring
15:25Iran to an agreement on its nuclear program has made Merz, you know, somebody who has no sympathy
15:34whatsoever with the Iranian regime. But he also said that the attacks by the United States and
15:42Israel on Iran come with risks. So he is cautiously suggesting that Germany is not really entirely
15:50comfortable with this operation. That's why Berlin already announced that it will not participate in
15:56any, you know, common military action or not participate in these strikes, which is understandable,
16:01as Berlin has longstanding and wide-ranging economic ties with Iran that it doesn't want to
16:07jeopardize at this moment.
16:10Thank you so much for that live update. And of course, we'll keep a very close eye on that story.
16:15So do
16:15keep an eye on yournews.com. But for now, Iranians at home and abroad are still digesting the news that
16:20Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who ruled Iran for 36 years, is dead. Some reacted by dancing in the streets
16:26and others by going into mourning. To hear more now about the expectations for the Iranian diaspora, we can bring
16:32in Sanam Naraji Anderlini, a British-Iranian peace strategist and author. Good morning, Sanam. Thank you
16:38so much for joining us here on Europe Today on Euronews. First question, what is your take on the
16:44U.S.-Israeli operation in Iran? Was it wise? So first of all, thank you very much for having me.
16:50This is an illegal war. It's a war of choice. It was not necessary. And then I think that's why
16:58we see
16:59the Germans, the Nordics and others stepping away from being pressured by the United States to get
17:04involved. So that's the first thing. The second thing, I think, is that we have to see that they
17:09are consistently committing war crimes. Nine to 10 hospitals have been targeted, heritage sites,
17:16residential areas in Tehran. So the question of what is the purpose of this war needs to also be
17:23put on the table at the moment. Indeed, it looks like it was a very dangerous night
17:27for Iranians. What is next, do you think, for the country?
17:32That's, I think, the gazillion dollar question, if you want, for everybody.
17:37You know, the issue, we have four different objectives that are sort of fighting with each
17:43other, if you want. You have the objective of the Iranian public, which has been calling for an
17:49end to the regime, but they didn't want a war like this to be the sort of, you know, the
17:55response to
17:55the protests last year. So the question of how do you go from the regime to a democratic space,
18:01is it through war or not? And at the moment, it's certainly not. This is not the answer.
18:05You have the regime that wants to survive, obviously. You have Israel, which is really
18:11driving this agenda. And at the moment, we're seeing their strategy at play because they want
18:17to decimate the country. They are now trying to open the borders for the Kurds and others to have a
18:23land incursion. And essentially, they want to destroy Iran's capacity to be a force in the
18:29region, regardless of whether it's this regime or a democratic one. They want a subservient outcome,
18:36you know, regime or government at the end of this and a country that has zero defences and is unable
18:42to challenge their expansion in the region.
18:44And Salam, as we've seen, the war is spilling out into the region. How long could this war last
18:48and how much more could it escalate, do you think? This is also something that before they
18:54started the war, they should have anticipated. You know, what we're seeing right now is that
18:58in Iraq, in Lebanon, in Bahrain, in Pakistan, in Kashmir, people are responding to the assassination
19:04of Khamenei. And it is genuinely sort of causing, so it's igniting a lot of animosity towards the United
19:13States, actually. So that's one aspect of it. The other aspect, of course, is the Iranian,
19:18you know, strategy as an asymmetric conflict of targeting the Gulf states and Dubai and other
19:24places to try and both mitigate the effect of the Americans, but also to exact a high price
19:30so that there is some kind of ceasefire. I think that's part of their strategy. But the economic costs
19:35are going to be global because of the Straits of Hormuz, because of insurance costs and so forth. So
19:41we need de-escalation as much, as soon as possible. De-escalation that comes with the opportunity
19:47for Iranians to have their shift in the political system.
19:51Okay, Salam Nareji Adani. Thank you so much for joining us here on Europe Today on Euronews.
19:56And thank you so much for tuning in. Take care and see you very soon here on Euronews.
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