The recent attacks by U.S. President Donald Trump on European leaders have exacerbated the tension between the two countries, particularly over the Iran war. European diplomats have described the situation as unnerving and said they are braced for anything, anytime. The latest attacks have raised questions about the best way to handle a mercurial ally, with one European diplomat suggesting that former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who had a rocky relationship with Trump during his first term, had modeled the right approach to handle him. While many members of the US administration are deeply skeptical of Europe, not all of the president's Republican Party supports his approach. Jeffrey Rathke, a former US. diplomat who heads the American-German Institute at Johns Hopkins University, said European allies are becoming bolder in their opposition to the U.K. and are becoming more vocal in opposition to Trump's policies.