European leaders urge immediate de-escalation between Israel and Iran

Euronews

18 hours ago

European leaders are voicing alarm over the military attacks launched overnight between Israel and Iran and calling for immediate de-escalation to avoid an all-out war that could spiral across the Middle East and beyond.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was one of the first heads of government to react, urging "all parties to step back and reduce tensions urgently".
"Escalation serves no one in the region. Stability in the Middle East must be the priority and we are engaging partners to de-escalate," Starmer said.
"Now is the time for restraint, calm and a return to diplomacy."
His Dutch countepart, Dick Schoof, issued a similar message.
"Alarming attacks in the Middle East," Schoof said. "The Netherlands calls on all parties to remain calm and to refrain from further attacks and retaliation. In the interest of stability in the region, immediate de-escalation is necessary."
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz convened his security cabinet after speaking by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who informed him about the objectives behind the military operation.
The Iranian nuclear program "violates the provisions of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and poses a serious threat to the entire region, especially to the State of Israel," Merz said in a statement as he warned against regional instability.
Merz cited the recent conclusion by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that found Iran was not complying with its nuclear obligations for the first time in 20 years.
Germany stands ready "to exert influence on the parties to the conflict using all diplomatic means at our disposal. The goal must remain to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons," the chancellor added.
From Brussels, the leaders of the European Union institutions also weighed in on the rapidly changing events.
"Europe urges all parties to exercise maximum restraint, de-escalate immediately and refrain from retaliation," said Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, calling the news "deeply alarming".
"A diplomatic resolution is now more urgent than ever, for the sake of the region's stability and global security," von der Leyen added.
High Representative Kaja Kallas described the situation as "dangerous" and said that "diplomacy remains the best path forward".
Other countries offered their initial reactions through their foreign affairs ministries.
"The situation in the Middle East is deeply concerning, and the cycle of military escalation must be brought to an end," said Finland's Elina Valtonen, noting the staff of the Finnish embassy in Tehran was "safe" and continued to operate "normally".
France's Jean-Noël Barrot said it was "essential that all diplomatic means are mobilised" to bring down the rising tensions, while Ireland's Simon Harris cautioned that "further escalation would bring a very real risk of regional spillover".
"This would be disastrous for all the peoples in the region," Harris said.
The renewed conflict between Israel and Iran comes two days before the leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) are set to meet for a two-day summit in Canada. The summit's agenda was intended to focus on Russia's war on Ukraine and the international trade system, but the latest developments could easily transform that agenda.
This is a developing news story.
Israel has one of the world's best air defence systems.
After Israel's major attack on Iran overnight on Friday, killing Tehran's top military commanders and nuclear scientists, Iran fired more than 100 drones and missiles at Israel, but Israeli officials reported all of the UAVs were successfully intercepted.
Israel's air defence system is multi-layered, but its centrepiece is the Iron Dome.
Using radar to detect and intercept short-range rockets, missiles and drones, the Iron Dome air defence system began operating in 2011.
Long pushed by Israeli defence officials, it was finally initiated in response to the 2006 war that ended with Hamas taking control of Gaza the following year.
The system is made of up a series of truck-towed mobile units scattered across the country in strategic locations. When a threat is detected, military personnel analyse it at a "battle management centre" manned 24 hours a day. They then decided which launcher to use to intercept.
Secondary missiles are fired to ensure a threat is properly neutralised.
Israel says it has a success rate of over 90%, destroying projectiles from a distance of 4 to 70 km away. Response times are in a matter of seconds.
Israel developed it with US backing. Washington contributed $1.6 billion (€1.5 billion) to create the system between 2011 and 2021, while the US Congress approved another $1 billion (€940 million) in 2022.
In the early 1990s, Israel suggested the idea of developing a short-range anti-missile system, though US defence officials at the time said it would be doomed to fail.
One weakness of the Iron Dome system is that it cannot protect more than 100 - 150 square kilometres, limiting its effectiveness for larger countries.
Even in Israel, a relatively small country, batteries have to be moved around according to the perceived risk of attack.
Israel has exported the technology to some countries around the world, including the US, Romania, India and Azerbaijan.
Washington uses it to protect its overseas military bases.
But the Iron Dome forms only part of Israel's air defences.
Israel uses the Arrow to intercept long-range missiles, including those Iran said it launched against the country on Saturday.
The Arrow, which operates outside the atmosphere, has been used in recent times to intercept long-range missiles launched by Houthi militants in Yemen.
It was again developed with US support.
Israel's air defences also involve David's Sling - designed to intercept medium-range missiles like those passed by Hezbollah in Lebanon - and Patriot missiles, the oldest component of the country's defences.
Patriots were first used during the First Gulf War in 1991 to intercept Scud missiles fired by Iraq's leader at the time, Saddam Hussein.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) estimates that each Patriot battery costs about $1.1 billion (€1 billion): $400 million (€375 million) for the system, $690 million (€647 million) for the missiles – the cost of a single missile is estimated at $4.1 million (€3.8 million).
Patriots are now mainly used to shoot down aircraft, including drones. Ukraine's military uses it for a similar purpose against the Russian invasion.
Israel is also developing a new system known as Iron Beam, which utilises laser technology to intercept incoming threats.
It is not yet operational. However, it is expected to be deployed in October.
Israeli officials say this system will be a game changer because it is much cheaper to operate than existing systems.