EU president calls for diplomatic solution while blaming Iran for conflict

European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen spoke on Sunday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding the ongoing war between Iran and Israel. She emphasized that Israel has the right to defend itself and blamed the Iranian regime for the violence in the Middle East.

“In this context, Israel has the right to defend itself. Iran is the principal source of regional instability,” Von der Leyen stated at the Group of Seven (G7) Summit in Canada. She further stressed that the European Union (EU) remains opposed to Iranian nuclear weapons.

“Iran should not have a nuclear weapon, without any question,” she said. The senior EU official also noted that Iranian drones and ballistic missiles are being used against civilians both in Israel and Ukraine.

“The same type of Iranian-designed and -made drones and ballistic missiles are indiscriminately hitting cities in Ukraine and in Israel. As such, these threats need to be addressed together,” Von der Leyen said.

While supporting Israel's to self-defense against the Iranian regime’s aggression, the EU commissioner underscored that a diplomatic solution was preferable.

“Of course I think a negotiated solution is, in the long term, the best solution,” Von der Leyen said without elaborating. Iran has been accused of consistently violating international agreements over time.

Von der Leyen's support for Israel in its conflict with Iran stands in contrast to the European Union’s vocal criticism of Israel during its ongoing war with the Iranian-backed terror group Hamas in Gaza.

In the early hours of Friday morning local time, Israel launched a massive operation against Iran’s nuclear and military assets. "Operation Rising Lion," the unprecedented military strike, has been planned for years and involved over 200 Israeli Air Force (IAF) planes and Mossad operatives on the ground in Iran. Within the first 24 hours, Israel has eliminated much of Iran’s top military leadership and several senior nuclear scientists.

Military experts also express doubt that Israel possesses the conventional capabilities to successfully bomb Iran’s heavily fortified Fordo nuclear facility from the air. According to conventional military assessments, only U.S.-made bunker-buster bombs are believed capable of penetrating the Fordo site, which is built deep beneath a mountain.

There are currently unconfirmed reports that U.S. President Donald Trump is considering finishing the war quickly by assisting Israel with the destruction of the Fordo plant, though deep divisions within his administration have left it unclear which path he will ultimately choose.

Speaking to the Merit Street Media news outlet, Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter emphasized that the purpose of the Israeli military action against Iran is to prevent a broader war while aiming to neutralize a threat that endangers the entire region and potentially extends beyond.

“What we’re doing in the Middle East is to prevent wars,” Leiter stated. “This is the war to end wars. This is the war to engender peace in the Middle East.” 

“We have some surprises up our sleeves,” the ambassador added. “There’s still a lot of things we can do.”