EU leaders clash over Iran war as divisions deepen across Europe
More than a week after the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran, European leaders remain sharply divided on how to respond, exposing deep fractures within the European Union over the conflict.
The disagreement erupted publicly in Brussels when European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Spanish Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Díaz took opposing positions on the war, highlighting the bloc’s inability to present a unified stance.
Speaking at the EU’s annual ambassadors conference in Brussels, von der Leyen urged European governments to adopt a more pragmatic approach to global politics. She warned that the European Union could no longer rely solely on the international rules-based order to protect its interests, arguing that the world’s geopolitical landscape had fundamentally changed.
Von der Leyen also addressed the political situation in Iran following the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei during the initial strikes on February 28. She said the fall of Iran’s leadership should not be mourned and called for what she described as a credible political transition in the country. Critics interpreted the remarks as indirect support for regime change.
Her comments quickly drew criticism from Spain’s Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Díaz. Speaking to reporters in Brussels, Díaz said Europe must demand respect for international law and condemned the military operation. She described the conflict as illegal and said it violated the United Nations Charter.
Spain had already refused to allow the United States to use Spanish military bases during the operation, a decision that prompted U.S. President Donald Trump to threaten to halt trade with Spain.
Divisions extend beyond the exchange between von der Leyen and Díaz. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has been one of the most outspoken critics of the military action, calling it an extraordinary mistake that could carry serious consequences.
French President Emmanuel Macron said the strikes had taken place outside the framework of international law, while also suggesting that Iran bears significant responsibility for the tensions that led to the confrontation.
Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz adopted a more conciliatory tone. He expressed relief that the Iranian clerical regime might be nearing its end and said he supported the goal shared by the United States and Israel of preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. However, he warned that a prolonged war would not serve Europe’s interests and cautioned against the collapse of the Iranian state.
In the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Keir Starmer initially refused U.S. access to British bases for the first wave of strikes. Trump later criticized the decision, saying Starmer was “not a Winston Churchill.” Britain subsequently deployed Typhoon fighter jets, naval vessels and counter-drone systems to the region.
Despite the political disagreements, European military cooperation in the region has intensified. France has deployed the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle in the Mediterranean and intercepted drones while defending allied airspace in the Gulf.
Spain, Italy, France and the Netherlands have also sent naval and air assets to Cyprus as part of regional security operations.
The crisis has also triggered debate about the role of the European Commission president in foreign policy. According to Politico, several EU governments have expressed frustration over von der Leyen’s efforts to act as the main diplomatic voice of the bloc, a responsibility formally assigned to the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas.
French member of the European Parliament Nathalie Loiseau said she was astonished to see von der Leyen contacting Gulf leaders without what she described as a formal mandate or intelligence briefings.
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