Chancellor Merkel, French President Macron, and British Prime Minister Johnson are urging Iran to exercise restraint in the conflict between the US and Iran. They call on the government in Tehran to adhere to the 2015 nuclear agreement.
The European leaders emphasize the need for de-escalation. They also call on the other countries involved in the conflict to show “utmost restraint and responsibility” and agree that the “sovereignty and security of Iraq” must be protected.
Foreign ministers will gather in Brussels on Friday for an extraordinary meeting to discuss the European response to the increased US-Iran tensions in the Middle East. EU Foreign Affairs Commissioner Borrell hopes to have spoken with the Iranian Foreign Minister before then.
Essentially, EU countries face the choice of whether to try to keep the weakened and dismantled Iranian nuclear deal somewhat intact or to accept that the United States withdrew earlier and that Iran no longer intends to abide by it.
On Sunday, part of the Iraqi parliament voted to expel all foreign troops from the US-led coalition against ISIS. Kurdish and Sunni parliament members boycotted that session. Iran announced it would no longer comply with the international nuclear agreement. The 28 EU member states are deeply concerned about this. This decision could mean Iran will continue its nuclear program without restrictions.
The Dutch training mission in northern Iraq has also been suspended. The Ministry of Defence reported on Sunday that about forty marines in Erbil would resume activities this week. However, the commander of the international coalition against ISIS has decided to suspend operations in Kurdish Northern Iraq as well, according to a Ministry of Defence spokesperson on Monday.
The training mission near Baghdad had already been halted earlier. There, three to twelve Dutch commandos train and advise Iraqi special forces. According to the spokesperson, there are currently no plans to withdraw the Dutch military personnel.
In the Arab world, there is also heightened concern about the threatening situation that Iran might retaliate for the US assassination of their military commander by targeting US bases and interests in the region. Furthermore, there is fear of further expansion of Iranian-Shiite influence in Iraq, Syria, and the Sunni Gulf region. Arab countries are trying, in their responses to the US strike, primarily to avoid being placed on Tehran’s American-Israeli ‘friends list.’