The European Union said it was “gravely concerned” by the latest developments around Iran and Israel and urged the sides to “avoid further escalation”.
“Developments in Iran are of great concern. We are in close contact with our partners in the region,” European Council President António Means and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a joint statement published by Means on social network x.
Brussels underlined the commitment to regional security and stability, and emphasised the “critical importance” of nuclear security and avoiding steps that could undermine the global nuclear non-proliferation regime.
The statement also said the EU had imposed sanctions in response to the Iranian authorities. At the same time, the EU has consistently advanced diplomatic efforts to resolve issues related to Iran’s nuclear and ballistic programmes through negotiations.
In coordination with member states, the EU pledges to take “all necessary measures” to support EU citizens in the region. Brussels called for “maximum restraint, the protection of civilians and full respect for international law” by all parties.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Iran “must never get a nuclear weapon” and therefore London has consistently supported attempts to reach a negotiated settlement. The safety of UK citizens in the region and the provision of 24-hour consular assistance remains a priority.
The government also stressed that, as part of its security commitments to allies in the Middle East, it has a number of defence capabilities in the region, which have recently been strengthened. “We stand ready to defend our interests,” London said, adding that “Britain does not want further escalation to a wider regional conflict.”
French President Emmanuel Macron called for an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council and said France was “ready to deploy the necessary resources” to support partners in the region.
Macron said further escalation is dangerous for everyone and must stop. He said the Iranian authorities must realise the need for good-faith negotiations to end the nuclear and ballistic programmes and stop destabilising activities in the region. He also said the Iranian people should be free to shape their future.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called for restraint and described developments in Iran as “deeply troubling.” She emphasised the critical importance of ensuring nuclear security and avoiding steps that could undermine the global non-proliferation regime.
Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévost commenting on the latest developments said, “the Iranian people should not pay for the choice of their government.” He also regretted that “diplomatic efforts earlier did not lead to a negotiated settlement.”
Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said the attack, which Israel described as “preventive”, was “not in accordance with international law”, emphasising that preventive strikes need an “immediate and imminent threat”.
Earlier, on the morning of 28 February, the Israeli military struck Iranian territory, with explosions in Tehran, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said. According to the Israeli side, “the attack was sudden”. At the same time as it began, the IDF sent out a nationwide warning urging citizens to stay close to secure premises.
“This is a preventive message to prepare the population for the possibility of rockets being launched towards the State of Israel,” the military said in a statement.
According to Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz, the country has launched a “preventive military operation” against Iran, which “aims to neutralise the potential threat from Tehran as well as to prevent possible strikes on Israeli territory”.
A United States official confirmed America’s participation in the operation against Iran in comments to Radio Liberty. The US official says the airstrikes are aimed at “weakening Iran’s security infrastructure”.
US leader Donald Trump later noted that America had indeed launched a military campaign against Iran “to eliminate threats from the current regime”. He called the country’s leadership a “brutal group of people” whose activities pose a direct danger to the US, “our troops, our bases overseas and our allies around the world.”
The media also wrote that according to the Iranian official, the country is preparing to retaliate and “the response will be crushing.”
Iran subsequently launched rockets towards Israel in response, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said in a post on social networking site X.
“Defence systems are working to intercept the threat. In the past few minutes, the Home Front Command has sent an alert directly to mobile phones in the relevant areas,” the military said.