BRUSSELS — The EU welcomes the hobbling of Iran’s theocratic regime but remains concerned about “chaos” stemming from the war, and has no intention of joining in.
Those were the key messages from two of the bloc’s most powerful officials, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and top diplomat Kaja Kallas, as a U.S.-Israeli campaign of airstrikes against the Iranian regime entered its second week.
Addressing an annual conference of EU ambassadors in Brussels, von der Leyen discussed internal EU debates about how to approach the war, advising diplomats to focus on practical realities stemming from the war rather than moralizing about its merits.
“You will hear different views about whether the conflict in Iran is a war of choice or a war of necessity,” she said. “But I believe this debate partly misses the point because Europe must focus on the reality of the situation, to see the world as it actually is today.”
“I want to be clear,” she went on. “There should be no tears shed for the Iranian regime that has inflicted death and imposed repression on its own people.” Von der Leyen further said that the Iranian people should have the right to determine their own future “even if we know this will be fraught with danger and instability during and after the war.”
Her comments highlight a difference between the Commission and capitals such as Madrid and Paris, which have emphasized international law while criticizing what they call a “war of choice” by the United States and Israel. They also coincide with criticism from national envoys who argue the Commission president is overstepping her role by engaging in diplomacy.
Kallas, the bloc’s top diplomat, also steered clear of any lecturing about the ongoing airstrikes. But her remarks, delivered an hour after von der Leyen’s, focused more on what she called the uncertain consequences of the war, which have led to drone and missile strikes across the Middle East as well as the closing of the Strait of Hormuz and skyrocketing energy prices.
“Another war brings uncertainty and chaos,” said Kallas, who’s in charge of representing the common foreign policy line of the EU’s 27 member countries. It’s “better” that “Iran’s military capabilities have been limited, and the regime is weaker than it ever has been before.”
“But there is no clear trajectory. How will this war end? Reports that Moscow and Tehran are working together to target U.S. troops should come as no surprise,” added Kallas.
The comments from von der Leyen and Kallas point to the EU’s dilemma: While leaders such as French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz tell voters they will not participate in the war, both have taken steps — including militarily — to secure EU interests in the Middle East and back up Gulf states facing Iranian attacks.
In a call with Gulf and Middle Eastern leaders after the ambassadors’ meeting, von der Leyen and Costa said they were willing to bolster EU maritime missions aimed at securing commercial trade as well as support for civilians affected by the conflict in Lebanon.
