European officials see rising anxiety as Iran-linked plots and Trump’s Iran war strain the continent
Prosecutors and government officials in Britain and Europe believe Iran or its proxies are behind a series of security breaches and threats that have unsettled the region. Attempted attacks include a foiled plot against a major American military base, arson at Jewish community sites, and cyberattacks that raised temperatures in refrigerators and blood banks. In September, U.S. prosecutors said an Iraqi man, an Iranian operative, and a senior operative for an Iran proxy group in a New York jail plotted to attack R.A.F. Fairford, an air base in England used by American bombers; they did not succeed, but the effort prompted a major security incident.
On Veterans Day, speaking from Arlington National Cemetery, President Trump called his decision to go to war with Iran a complete success and said that when the conflict is over — “and it will be soon” — the world would be safer and more peaceful. The war that Trump and the Israeli government began in February has already raised living costs in Europe: gas prices are higher because of disrupted oil deliveries through the Strait of Hormuz, groceries cost more, and winter heating has become far less affordable. Unease grew further when the U.S. government grounded all air travel for hours on Friday, later blamed on a technical issue.
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