Europe Today: US and Iran exchange fresh attacks as EU unveils new Russia sanctions

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Europe Today: US and Iran exchange fresh attacks as EU unveils new Russia sanctions  Iran has launched a missile attack on a US air base in Jordan after President Donald Trump blamed Tehran for the downing of an American Apache helicopter. In Europe, Jorge Liboreiro reports on the EU's new package of sanctions against Russia targeting oil, the Russian "shadow fleet", and banks.  READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2026/06/10/europe-today-us-and-iran-exchange-fresh-attacks-as-eu-unveils-new-russia-sanctions  Subscribe to our channel. Euronews is available on Dailymotion in 12 languages

Transcript

00:14Good morning. It is Wednesday the 10th of June. I'm Maeve McMahan and this is Europe Today,

00:20your news morning show that brings you all the stories driving the day.

00:23Coming up, escalation in the Middle East. Iran has launched a missile attack on a US airbase in

00:30Jordan after President Donald Trump blamed Tehan for the downing of an American Apache helicopter

00:36near the Strait of Hormuz. The attack comes as members of the UN Security Council remain divided

00:42over sanctions linked to Iran's nuclear program. Meanwhile, in southern Lebanon, Israel has carried

00:48out airstrikes that caused a number of deaths and many serious injuries. As locals flee to

00:53safety, Iran has warned of, quote, crushing measures if Israel continues its assault.

00:59And here in Brussels, EU leaders are rolling out the red carpet today for South Korean President Lee.

01:05The EU South Korea summit takes place as part of his 10-day tour of Europe, which will culminate

01:10at the G7 summit in France next week. But first, the US has launched multiple waves of strikes on

01:16Iran in response to a military helicopter crash off the Strait of Hormuz. Reports say the helicopter

01:22went down after colliding with an Iranian drone, but it's not clear whether the collision was

01:27intentional. In a post on social media, Donald Trump says there were two pilots involved, both safe and

01:35uninjured. Nevertheless, the United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack. Soon after,

01:44Iran said no attack would go unanswered and launched retaliatory attacks against a number of US bases in

01:51Beijing. For analysis, we're joined now by General Dominique Trincon, a retired French army general and former head

01:57of France's military mission to the UN in New York, an expert in international security, peacekeeping

02:03operations and military strategy. Good morning, General. Good to have you with us on the program.

02:10Now, these latest developments severely threatened the fragile ceasefire, which has seen already many

02:16clashes inside and outside the Strait. From your perspective, how close is the ceasefire to complete

02:21collapse? You need to be careful about what you're calling a ceasefire. It's just a declaration. There is

02:29no agreement, in fact. So the declaration by the US of a ceasefire means that it's up to the US

02:37to decide

02:38if there is a breach or not, because there is no agreement with the Iranians. So we are no longer

02:45at war. We are not yet at peace. We're just in between. And each time there is a problem, of

02:53course,

02:53they use the force. That was the case where after the shutdown of the helicopter and the strike by the

03:00Iranian and the strike by the US. But they declare that they are still at ceasefire.

03:06And how bad could it get? What is the military endgame here, do you think?

03:12Military endgame is difficult. I think it will last very long, because the US want to get out from this

03:19trap.

03:21The Iranians don't care if their people are killed. They don't care if there is a real ceasefire,

03:31because they've got now a very powerful government in Iran, because there is no opposition at all.

03:40And because of the strike by the US in Iran, it's reinforcing the power in Tehran.

03:48And so it can last long. But they want to have an agreement to ease the economic sanction. And of

03:56course, the US are the only one to negotiate with the Iranians, neither the Israeli nor the

04:02European, no one else. And so it's only up to President Trump to show that he has to win something.

04:10And that's the thing. President Trump tends to change his mind every five minutes.

04:14Can diplomacy hold at all at any stage? Have you any hope for a diplomatic end to this?

04:19There will be only a diplomatic end, because war will not change anything.

04:25We've been at war for three months now, with one very severe war, with many strikes,

04:34and nothing happened in the change.

04:36The country now almost is controlled by the Iranian. So I think that only diplomatic movement can change

04:45something. But it will be very difficult because the Iranian are really in a powerful situation now.

04:51And just finally, your thoughts on Lebanon. Do you think Lebanon could hold the key to the future

04:55of this war?

04:56Yes, of course, because the US didn't care about Lebanon. In fact, only Israel wanted to defeat the

05:04Hezbollah. And the Iranian now are saying that without changing the situation in Lebanon, there will be

05:12no agreement between Iran and the US. But for Israel, the safety of Israel is at stake. So it is

05:22very

05:22difficult. The agreement inside Lebanon is that Hezbollah must be disarmed. But Hezbollah is very

05:30powerful now in Lebanon.

05:34Okay, General Dominique Trincon, thank you so much for your time this morning and for joining us here

05:38on Europe Today. Now moving on, the Commission President has proposed a fresh round of sanctions

05:43against Russia, targeting oil sales, the so-called shadow fleet, banks, and even soldiers involved in

05:49the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. For the latest, we're joined here on set by our correspondent,

05:54Jorge Lebradero, who's been following the previous 20 packages of sanctions for us. So you're quite an

05:58expert, I must say, on the topic. So tell us, what are the new elements in this package?

06:03There's a lot of continuation in this package, right? Because one of the main elements is the

06:07price cap on Russia and oil. We know it. It's been there since 2022. What happened with the price cap

06:13is rather funny because last year, we made the cap dynamic to reflect the market trends.

06:19So because the price of Russian oil was going down, the price cap went down as well. But this

06:25year is the opposite. What happened with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the price of

06:30Russian oil drastically went up. So now we're staring at a review that will go upwards instead

06:36of downwards with the cap. So what the Commission has proposed is to delay this review completely

06:41until January next year. So the price cap will stay at what it is now, which is $44 per barrel.

06:48Now, besides the cap, what do we have in this package? We have shadow fleet vessels, we have

06:53Russian banks, we have cryptocurrency firms that have been accused of enabling circumvention.

06:59We have for the first time fisheries, we have several metals that are used for weapons,

07:04we do not have alumina, which is the raw material that Ireland is accused of providing to Russia.

07:11And we also have, which is very interesting, very striking element in this proposal,

07:17a ban on soldiers who have taken part in the full scale invasion of Ukraine. And this is how

07:23Ursula von der Leyen yesterday justified the measure.

07:27We propose for the first time to ban from entry into the European Union, anyone who has served in

07:36the Russian armed forces since the beginning of the war. So Europe stays off limit for anyone who

07:45has participated in the invasion of Ukraine, as simple as that.

07:49Quite an interesting proposal there, Jorge. Where did this come from? And is it feasible?

07:53The proposal to ban Russian soldiers from the Schengen area came from Estonia. They put it on the table

08:00earlier this year. At first it was just them, but then it gradually gained support from other member states

08:06because they are concerned about the security risks that these soldiers could pose if they come to

08:11Europe after the war is over. So now the Commission has endorsed the proposal, has put it there in the

08:1621st package of sanctions. But there are many questions because we're talking about an enormous amount of

08:22people. I was just checking the numbers and there's an estimated half a million 600,000 soldiers

08:28in Ukraine, you know, deployed there from Russia. So how do we ban so many people? Well, first of all,

08:34we need to identify them. Who are they? Where are they? Where do they come from? And then once we

08:39have

08:39these identities put in place, we can establish a system to systematically deny them entry into the

08:45Schengen area. So let's see how this proposal actually works in practice. What are the feasibilities,

08:51the technicalities? But the goal is to have the sanctions approved by mid-July.

08:55Okay, Jorge, thank you so much for that update. And you can read more, of course,

08:58about all those technicalities on Euronews.com. But now, in a major blow to the French President

09:04Emmanuel Macron, France and Germany have shelved a project to jointly build a next-generation fighter

09:10jet. The project was seen as a key test of European efforts to work more closely together

09:15on defence. For more, we can go straight to Berlin and bring in our correspondent Laura Fleischmann.

09:20Good morning, Laura. Just tell us what happened with this project. Why did it fall apart?

09:27Good morning to you too, Maeve. And well, the German Airbus and France's Dassault Aviation have

09:35come to an end of their talks about a potential F-CAS project working together on a next-generation

09:41fighter jet. Because they couldn't agree on how to work together, apparently, Dassault tried to take on

09:47a leadership role, tried to take a bigger share of the work, and Airbus was not too happy with that.

09:53Also, there were disagreements regarding potential patent rights on new developments

09:58and problems with different military requirements by France and by Germany. France needs a nuclear-capable

10:05jet and one that can also land on aircraft carriers. And Germany is not a nuclear power and also does

10:11not

10:11have an aircraft carrier. So this was not on top of the list for Germany. And this now is a

10:17serious blow to

10:18Europe's defence. And that especially during challenging times in terms of security, looking at Ukraine,

10:25looking at the tense transatlantic relations currently. But potentially, a new next-generation fighter jet

10:32might not be completely off the table, since Airbus has now proposed to the German Defence Ministry that

10:38there could be a new next-generation fighter jet in cooperation with other companies, but this time

10:43without France.

10:44Okay, Laura Fleischmann, thank you so much for that live update there from Berlin. Now, the European

10:49Commission has reacted to a controversial luxury development project on Albania's coast that's

10:55linked to the US President Donald Trump's family. The plans, as you might have seen,

10:59have sparked protests that are now in their second week. They're called the Flamingo Revolution,

11:04because the wetland is home to flamingos, seals and sea turtle nesting sites. But Eddie Rama,

11:09who's on the path towards EU membership, says they could modernise Albania. For more,

11:14I'm joined here in the studio by our correspondent, Mared Gwynne. Just remind us, Mared, why is this

11:18making waves and what exactly is this luxury tourism development? So as you said there, Maeve,

11:23this is a luxury real estate project that would see over €1.4 billion invested into building

11:32tourism sites on some of Albania's most protected ecological areas, home to endangered species,

11:39as you mentioned there. And the investor firm, which is called Affinity Partners, behind this is

11:45actually headed by Jared Kushner, who is of course the son-in-law of President Trump. His wife, Ivanka Trump,

11:52actually spoke about how the seed of this idea was first planted last week. She told a US podcast

11:59show, we were on a friend's boat, and we stopped for a swim. Effectively, that's how we found it.

12:05We swam to the island, we went on a hike, barefoot all the way to the top, and we were

12:10just captivated,

12:11she said. She's referring there to Sazan Islands, one of the sites of this development project.

12:17And it's in the Adriatic coast off Albania, a sea off Albania's coast. And essentially,

12:23this has really touched on a nerve in the Albanian national conscience because of the ecologically

12:28protected nature of these sites, but also because there's a fear that this is about cultural identity,

12:34about national sovereignty, that billionaires can essentially snap up parts of the Albanian coast.

12:39And that's why, Maeve, we've seen these really fierce protests now in their second week.

12:43And of course, Brussels has weighed in. How has the European Commission been reacting to all this?

12:47Well, yes, they weighed in yesterday. I asked a question to the European Commission. I asked if

12:51they were assessing these plans' compatibility with EU environmental rules. Because remember,

12:57Albania is a candidate country. It's considered a front runner, second in line after Montenegro to

13:02join the bloc. And to do that, it has aligned with the EU's stringent rules on environmental

13:07protection. I asked this, and this is what a spokesperson for the Commission had to say.

13:12We have already expressed concerns with the Minister of the Environment about the potential

13:18shortcomings of this project. Finally, let me stress that Albania should refrain from action

13:25that could undermine the fulfilment of the closing benchmark. And we expect the Albanian authorities

13:31to act without delay. So, Brussels are not yet saying explicitly that this is in breach of their

13:37rules. But a clearly veiled warning there. The Commission calling on the Albanian authorities to

13:42act without delay. And finally, Maeve, I think we'll hear more from this. Because the Commission also

13:48said that they had already concerns about Albanian laws and strategic investments, that they essentially

13:54allow billionaires to evade some of the rules on scrutiny and so on. And now pressure is really

13:59building on Eddie Rama. He's been defending these plans, really doubling down. But as these protests

14:05continue, and with concerns clearly being expressed from Brussels, I think there's going to be increasing

14:09pressure on him.

14:10Certainly a story that everyone is watching. Mary Gwynne-Jones, thank you so much there for

14:15your reporting. And now moving on, as the European Union seeks to shield its market from a surge of

14:20low-cost Chinese imports, Chinese companies are advertising ways to circumvent the bloc's tariff

14:26barriers. According to an exclusive story by our trade reporter Peggy Corlan, several EU countries have

14:32alerted the European Commission of new increasingly blurred and complex actions. That's all to avoid paying.

14:37These duties for more. Our very own Peggy Corlan is here with us in the studio. Tell us more about

14:42your reporting.

14:43Hi Maeve. Let me explain first what the situation is. The EU is currently facing a massive flood of

14:49Chinese cheap imports over capacities, which are threatening to sweep away entire sectors of the

14:55EU industry, such as the car industry, the steel industry or the chemicals. And to defend themselves,

15:02European producers lodged more and more complaints to the European Commission, asking the Commission to

15:08impose what is called anti-dumping duties, which hit products which are sold on the EU market at a

15:14price below the Chinese market. These are extra tariff. And what I've found is that some Chinese

15:20companies openly advertise online ways to bypass these tariffs.

15:24And how? What tactics are they using?

15:27Well, they promote online, in social media, in LinkedIn posts that we have found and published.

15:32They promote ways, for instance, to use transshipments through so-called gateway countries,

15:37which are countries not hit by EU tariffs, like Southeast Asian countries, Indonesia, Malaysia or Vietnam,

15:45where they pretend that the product has been produced, which is not the case. It has been

15:50made in China at 100%. And they offer a fake certificate of origins. And for instance,

15:56and you have another way, which is to slightly change the product, so that the custom code is changed,

16:02and they avoid the duties. And for that, I found that a specific product, which is strategic for the

16:08airspace industry, and the green energy, which is a chemical called titanium dioxide. Some Chinese

16:15companies offer products made at 80% of titanium dioxide and at 100% to avoid duties which have been

16:23imposed in 2025 by the European Commission.

16:27Okay, Peggy Corlan, thank you so much for that update. And another story, of course,

16:31that will be keeping our Peggy Corlan busy today is the EU-South Korean summit taking place this afternoon.

16:37Trade, of course, very much on the agenda, but also deepening defence ties. Our Jakob Janis takes a closer look.

16:45How's your Wednesday? Because today, European leaders Antonio Costa and Ursula von der Leyen are

16:51hosting South Korean President Lee Jae-myung for the EU-Republic of Korea summit. Meanwhile,

16:57their northern neighbours in Pyongyang have a busy schedule hosting China. Look, your reporter won't

17:03cover every single summit here, but this one matters. And if anyone asks why the EU quarter is buzzing,

17:08let the president explain. Oh, I'm preparing for the EU-Korea summit next week. Listen.

17:16Indeed, but our partnership and friendship with Korea is not only about K-pop, it's much,

17:22much more. All right, so if it is not just about K-pop, what is it about then?

17:28The big news is a newly finalised digital trade agreement, which sets binding rules for data flows

17:34and e-commerce. But the real driver here is defence and geopolitics. And following a security pact,

17:41which was signed two years ago, the EU is rapidly fortifying ties across the Indo-Pacific.

17:46And amid rising tensions, some EU politicians are even pitching a NATO-style economic deterrence

17:52pact with Seoul to block trade cohesion from Washington or Beijing. And we are not talking about

17:58pocket money here. Total trade topped over 120 billion euros last year. It's a busy two-way street.

18:06Europe mainly sends over factory machinery and chemical products. But in return, Europeans buy a

18:12huge number of South Korean cars, microchips and home electronics. And South Korea is a tech powerhouse,

18:19spending nearly 5% of its GDP on research. Which, by the way, is more than double the European average.

18:26Their microchips and batteries power Europe's everyday economy, backed by heavy Korean investments

18:32inside Germany, Poland and Hungary. And Europeans are rapidly entering an era where international

18:38security is just as much about safeguarding microchip supplies and electric vehicle batteries as it is

18:45about traditional military firepower. But look, if you are still not sold on the high-stakes world of

18:51semiconductor defense, there's always the K-pop left for you.

18:59And that was, of course, our Jakob Janis reporting for us there. Let us know how you feel about

19:03either K-pop or the EU South Korea summit. You can write to us at europetoday at euronews.com.

19:09But that does bring this edition to an end. Thank you so much for your company,

19:13as always, and see you soon here on Euronews.

19:26You can mix this in your simple words.

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