On Tuesday 17 June, the EU High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, called, at the end of an informal Foreign Affairs Council via video conference, to put an end to the conflict between Israel and Iran through diplomatic means. The strikes between the two countries, which have been ongoing on for five days, have reportedly already left at least 224 people dead and more than a thousand injured in Iran and at least 24 dead in Israel.
Highlighting the risk of a wider conflict in the region, the High Representative explained that ministers had called on all parties “to abide by international law, exercise restraint, and avoid actions that could spiral out of control”.
“We all agreed the urgent need for de-escalation”, she stressed, explaining that she had received ministers’ support for the EU’s and her own involvement in efforts to calm the situation. According to Ms Kallas, ministers discussed the measures they could take to make a concrete contribution to calming the situation, without giving any details.
Ms Kallas explained that the EU was in contact with Iran and Israel, and with regional partners in order to achieve a genuine de-escalation, “because the stability of the region is everybody’s interest”. “We have these channels (of communication) open and we are constantly pushing to stop this war, because the risks for escalation and the risks of spillover effects are great. Also the risks of miscalculation which is making this conflict even bigger”, warned the High Representative.
Asked about possible Russian mediation, Ms Kallas explained that “President Putin is not somebody who can talk about peace. (... ) He’s not a mediator that can really be considered”. She also condemned the Russian attack on Kyiv the previous night, which left at least 14 people dead.
The meeting of ministers also provided an opportunity to discuss the measures taken by the EU to deal with the crisis, with the activation of civil protection mechanisms and assistance to Member States to evacuate their citizens who wish to leave the two warring countries. On Tuesday, the Czech Republic and Slovakia announced that they had evacuated 139 of their nationals from Israel. “In parallel, we stand ready to deploy civil protection experts and our naval operation Aspides continues to protect merchant ships from Houthi attacks, while providing valuable situational awareness”, explained the High Representative.
Referring to the acceleration of Iran’s nuclear programme, Ms Kallas explained that “a diplomatic solution is the best way to address Iran’s nuclear programme in the long run and Europe stands ready to play its part”. “Iran cannot have a nuclear bomb and diplomacy is the solution to prevent this”, she insisted. The EU mediated the Iran nuclear deal signed in 2015, which was denounced by US President Donald Trump in 2018.
Monitoring energy markets. Finally, ministers discussed the impact of the crisis on global energy markets. Asked about the cap on Russian oil prices, the High Representative said she would like to see this cap lowered, believing that it was important to not end up in a situation where the situation in the Middle East leads to a rise in oil prices and allows Russia to earn more money.
Earlier in the day, in a joint statement, the leaders of the G7 countries said they remained vigilant about the implications for international energy markets and were prepared to coordinate their efforts, particularly with like-minded partners, to preserve market stability.
In their communiqué, they also reaffirmed Israel’s right to defend itself and their support for its security, explaining that Iran was the “principal source of regional instability and terror”. They reiterated that they had been “consistently clear” that Iran could “never” acquire nuclear weapons.
The G7 leaders also called for the resolution of the Iranian crisis to lead to a broader de-escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, including a ceasefire in Gaza.
See the G7 declaration: https://aeur.eu/f/hdq (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)