By The South Asia Times

WASHINGTON - World leaders and lawmakers from Europe, the United States, and Australia have expressed deep concern over the escalating war involving Iran, warning of severe geopolitical, economic, and humanitarian consequences while also revealing growing divisions over the conflict.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Germany has no interest in seeing Iran destabilized or fragmented, cautioning that the collapse of the country could trigger wider regional chaos.

“We have no interest in the dissolution of Iran’s territorial integrity, its statehood, or its economic viability,” Merz said. He warned that scenarios similar to those seen in Libya or Iraq would damage global security, energy supplies, and potentially worsen migration crises affecting Europe.

In the United States, several lawmakers sharply criticized the cost and strategy of the war under Donald Trump.

Representative Jim McGovern said Washington has already spent billions in just over a week of fighting.

“Trump has already spent $9.5 billion in nine days on his war with Iran than the USDA spends in an entire year on providing breakfast to children in schools,” McGovern said.

Senator Rand Paul also warned that the United States is overstretching itself militarily.

“We’ve gotten overextended. This is our second war in a month, and these wars are extremely expensive, not only in lives but in treasure,” Paul said, adding that he is deeply concerned about the growing national debt.

Paul also questioned the justification for the war, saying there was “no evidence” that Iran was close to building a nuclear weapon. He warned that calls for “unconditional surrender” could dangerously escalate the conflict.

“To achieve unconditional surrender in World War II required two nuclear weapons. Are people prepared to see nuclear weapons used to demolish cities in Iran?” he asked.

However, some U.S. lawmakers urged a more aggressive stance. Senator Lindsey Graham suggested that Saudi Arabia should join the fight against Iran following attacks in the region.

“If the American embassy being attacked does not trigger mutual self-defense, maybe we shouldn’t do a treaty with you,” Graham said while urging stronger cooperation against Iran.

Meanwhile, Senator Ed Markey criticized the domestic economic impact of the war, accusing Trump of escalating tensions.

“Donald Trump is throwing gasoline on the flames of war in Iran while Americans are paying higher prices for gasoline at the pump,” Markey said, pointing to rising fuel prices linked to the conflict.

- European and Australian concerns

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez warned that the conflict risks becoming a prolonged war with global repercussions.

Addressing the nation, Sánchez said the war had already caused hundreds of deaths and disrupted global markets and aviation routes. He also warned about instability around the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas supplies normally pass.

Sánchez reiterated Spain’s position with a blunt message: “No to war.”

In Australia, Senator Penny Allman-Payne criticized what she described as hypocrisy in Western responses to the conflict. She accused governments of condemning Iran while ignoring the impact of U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian civilians and schools.

“Our government is happy to pose with Iranian female soccer players and give them refuge,” she said, “but also supports the bombing of Iranian schools and the killing of schoolgirls.”

The wide range of reactions from Western leaders highlights increasing unease about the trajectory of the conflict. While some governments stress deterrence and alliances, others warn that the war risks spiraling into a broader regional crisis with significant economic and humanitarian fallout.

Analysts say the debate reflects a widening global divide over how far military escalation should go and whether diplomacy can still prevent a prolonged war.