French President Emmanuel Macron has called for an “urgent meeting” of the United Nations Security Council, while Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchéz said that Madrid “rejects” strikes from the United States and Israel against the Islamist regime in Iran on Saturday.
Europe, which is more susceptible to security and economic shocks over regional instability in the Middle East, has responded to President Donald Trump’s move to launch a major military operation against Iran with a mixture of caution and condemnation.
While the EU called for “restraint”, France’s Emmanuel Macron took a more critical tone, saying that the conflict “must stop”, while urging for a return to negotiations with the Ayatollah’s regime in Tehran.
“The outbreak of war between the United States, Israel, and Iran carries grave consequences for international peace and security,” he wrote on social media.
“The ongoing escalation is dangerous for all. It must stop. The Iranian regime must understand that it no longer has any option but to engage in good-faith negotiations to end its nuclear and ballistic programs, as well as its actions of regional destabilization. This is absolutely essential to the security of all in the Middle East,” Macron continued.
“The Iranian people must also be able to build their future freely. The massacres perpetrated by the Islamic regime disqualify it and require that the voice be given back to the people. The sooner, the better.”
The French leader said that in light of his country’s “principles” and “international responsibilities”, he was calling for an “urgent meeting” of the United Nations Security Council.
However, Macron did say that France also “stands ready” to deploy resources to help “protect its closest partners at their request,” suggesting that Paris may be willing to assist the United States if asked.
Taking an even harder line against Washington, Socialist Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said that Madrid “rejects” the “unilateral military action by the United States and Israel,” which he said represents “an escalation and contributes to a more uncertain and hostile international order.”
“We likewise reject the actions of the Iranian regime and the Revolutionary Guard. We cannot afford another prolonged and devastating war in the Middle East. We demand immediate de-escalation and full respect for international law. It is time to resume dialogue and achieve a lasting political solution for the region,” Sánchez added.
In contrast to the stance from Europe, the Anglo-sphere allies of Australia and Canada expressed solidarity with the United States and the Trump administration in its strikes on Iran.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said: “We support the United States acting to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and to prevent Iran continuing to threaten international peace and security.”
The left-wing PM added that the Islamic regime in Tehran has been a “destabilising force” for decades, through its “ballistic missile and nuclear programs, support for armed proxies, and brutal acts of violence and intimidation.”
Meanwhile, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney — a frequent critic of President Trump — said that his country also “supports the United States acting to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and to prevent its regime from further threatening international peace and security.”
“Canada’s position remains clear: the Islamic Republic of Iran is the principal source of instability and terror throughout the Middle East, has one of the world’s worst human rights records, and must never be allowed to obtain or develop nuclear weapons,” Carney added.
