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Brussels — The European Union has issued urgent calls for restraint and a return to diplomacy following U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, which marked a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel.
The strikes came in response to Iran’s missile attacks on Israel, launched after Tel Aviv carried out a major bombing campaign on Iranian territory on June 13. Tehran had previously warned that U.S. military involvement would provoke a broader retaliation.
In response, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas both appealed for calm and the resumption of dialogue amid rising fears of a wider regional war.
“I urge all sides to step back, return to the negotiating table, and prevent further escalation,” Kallas wrote on social media platform X, ahead of an emergency EU foreign ministers’ meeting scheduled for Monday.
Von der Leyen echoed the sentiment, stating, “The negotiating table is the only place to end this crisis.”
The EU’s 27 foreign ministers were already due to meet in Brussels to discuss international crises including Russia’s war in Ukraine and the humanitarian situation in Gaza. However, the rapid deterioration of the Iran-Israel situation is now expected to dominate the agenda.
The appeals come just days after Kallas joined her counterparts from France, Germany, and the United Kingdom in Geneva for talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. The European leaders urged Tehran to revive nuclear diplomacy and resume engagement with the United States.
Tehran, however, insisted that it would not consider renewed negotiations unless Israel halts its air campaign inside Iranian territory.
“Diplomacy remains the only way to bring peace and security to the Middle East,” said European Council President António Costa on Sunday. “Too many civilians will once again be the victims of further escalation.”
The EU has positioned itself as a mediator in the crisis, continuing to advocate for a diplomatic resolution amid deepening military confrontation between regional powers and global actors.
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