European leaders urged restraint after the U.S. and Israel launched strikes against Iran.
The EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas called the situation in Iran “perilous” after the U.S. and Israel launched strikes against Tehran, while other EU leaders urged restraint so the conflict doesn’t escalate.
The United States and Israel attacked Iran early Saturday, after talks between Tehran and Washington didn’t lead to a deal on the Iranian nuclear program. Iran has launched counterattacks.
The developments are “greatly concerning,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the President of the Council of the EU António Costa said in joint statement. They urged “maximum restraint” and said that “ensuring nuclear safety and preventing any actions that could further escalate tensions or undermine the global non-proliferation regime is of critical importance.”
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said the strikes in Iran “must not lead to a spiral of escalation that could threaten the Middle East, Europe and beyond.” In a post on X, she called Tehran’s counterattacks on U.S. bases in Persian Gulf countries “inexcusable and unjustifiable.”
Kallas spoke to Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar and is “coordinating closely with Arab partners to explore diplomatic paths,” she said in a post on X.
Poland’s President Donald Tusk called on Polish citizens in Iran to stay safe and follow instructions of local authorities, in a post on X. “The unity of Poles on the issue of security is particularly important today,” he said.
Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said “the most important thing is to stop the strikes and any possible counterstrikes as quickly as possible” in a post on X.
Cyprus has activated a plan for the “safe evacuation of citizens from nearby crisis areas (from the broader Middle East region)” via the country, Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos said in another post.
In a video posted on X, U.S. President Donald Trump called the strikes a “massive and ongoing operation.” He said Iran has attempted to rebuild its nuclear program.
In another social media post, he said Tehran is developing long-range missiles that threaten “our very good friends and allies in Europe, our troops stationed overseas and could soon reach the American homeland.”
The Pentagon has dubbed the attacks “Operation Epic Fury.”