As the war in Iran deepens, one of Europe’s longest-serving leaders has weighed in with a blunt assessment of what lies ahead. Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has urged NATO to back the United States in ending the conflict swiftly, warning that any delay could spiral into a wider crisis with far-reaching consequences for Europe and the world.
In an interview with journalist Mario Nawfal, Orbán framed the conflict as a high-stakes gamble with profound consequences for Europe, particularly smaller nations like Hungary.
“To go in, it’s easy. To get out is almost impossible,” Orbán said, drawing on his experience witnessing the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
A Divided NATO
Orbán’s remarks come as the NATO alliance remains divided over the war in Iran, as well as President Trump’s saber-rattling over Greenland.
| Leaders | Position on Iran War |
|---|---|
| Viktor Orbán (Hungary) | NATO should back the US to end the war quickly |
| Mark Rutte (NATO Secretary General) | Praised US-Israeli action; suggested allies could “enable” US efforts |
| Friedrich Merz (Germany), Emmanuel Macron (France), Keir Starmer (UK) | Emphasized this is not Europe’s war; rejected direct military involvement |
Earlier, when the war began, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte had been vocal in praising US and Israeli military action against Iran, calling it “really important” for degrading Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities.
However, other European leaders—including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer—have emphasized that this is not Europe’s war and have rejected direct military involvement or NATO’s role in the Strait of Hormuz.
Orbán’s Warnings: Two Primary Threats
Orbán identified two primary threats to Europe and his country from a prolonged war:
| Threat | Details |
|---|---|
| Rising Energy Prices | A landlocked nation poor in raw materials, Hungary suffered a €10 billion economic hit during the Russia-Ukraine war. A renewed oil price spike from disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz would deliver another blow. |
| Wave of Migration | With Iran’s 90 million inhabitants and existing Afghan refugees straining Europe, destabilization could send migrants through Turkey and the Balkans toward Hungary’s borders. Europe’s 2015 refugee crisis saw 1.3 million refugees, mostly from the Middle East. |
“These are the main challenges, not how to reorganise the Middle East,” Orbán said bluntly. “That’s very nice, but that belongs to the big guys.”
The ‘New World Order’
Orbán described the war as a product of what he called the emerging “new world order,” where liberal global governance has receded, and major powers now openly pursue their national interests.
“The Iran war is a consequence of the New World Order. Previously, the national interest was not common at all. But now big powers play an important role, and they act in their national interest. And that’s what the US is doing,” he explained.
He argued that the Islamic Republic of Iran was “the centre of a violent, anti-Semitic, anti-freedom network,” suggesting that destroying its paramilitary capacity could advance peace. However, he cautioned that failure to achieve this quickly could lead to “an even bigger, complicated, longer war.”
A Narrow Window for Success
Orbán emphasized the urgency of swift action: “If this war ends fast, it will look like a success. If not, it becomes a disaster.”
Despite his reservations about getting Hungary involved in foreign wars, Orbán advocated support for the US effort. He suggested that NATO should back Trump’s approach to help end the war quickly—not out of ideological alignment but reciprocity, after what he described as decades of American security provision to Europe.
His remarks come as NATO faces internal divisions, with reports that before the US went to war with Iran, Danish forces were preparing for a possible American invasion of Greenland.
