On Thursday 26 June, the Heads of State or Government of the countries of the European Union are expected to urge all parties to the war between Israel and Iran to “abide by international law” and to “refrain from taking action which could lead to a new escalation”, according to a paragraph added to the third draft of the European Council’s conclusions, dated 24 June.
Through this language, the EU27 will not comment on the legality of Israeli airstrikes on primarily military and nuclear sites in Iran, nor on the United States’ surprise military intervention in support of Israel. While French President Emmanuel Macron has described the attacks as illegal without condemning them, his German counterpart, Friedrich Merz, is convinced that the Israelis are doing “the dirty work” on behalf of the West vis-à-vis a regime that oppresses its population and has sworn to Israel’s demise.
Contrary to what the G7 said, the European Council would not emphasize Israel's right to defend itself. Stating that it is “strongly committed” to stability in the Middle East, it will reiterate the European Union’s position that “Iran must never be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon” and that Iran “must comply with its legally binding nuclear safeguard obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty” of nuclear weapons. It nevertheless stressed the importance of contributing to “diplomatic efforts” to reduce tensions and “bring about a lasting solution to the Iranian nuclear issue”.
Iran has been a “destabilising force” in the region for fifty years, noted a European diplomatic source on Tuesday 24 June, arguing that the EU’s “clear position” in this conflict must be to “find a negotiated diplomatic solution” to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
See the European Council’s draft conclusions of 24 June: https://aeur.eu/f/hjx (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion, with the editorial staff)