International Leaders Warn of Wider Conflict after U.S.-Iran Escalation
The European Union, France, and several international actors have called for immediate restraint after the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran.
People celebrate the U.S.-Israeli strikes on the Islamic regime of Iran, holding Iranian pre-revolution Lion and Sun flags at the Potsdamer Platz in Berlin, Germany on February 28, 2026.
RALF HIRSCHBERGER / AFP
The European Union, France, and several international actors have called for immediate restraint after the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran.
The rapid escalation of the situation in the Middle East is being watched with concern around the world after the United States and Israel attacked military targets in Iran and Tehran responded with missile strikes against U.S. bases and regional targets.
While the United States and Israel are doing the world a favour by engaging in what appears to be an attempt to remove the Ayatollah from power in Iran, European Union leaders have described the situation as “very worrying.” Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa issued a joint statement calling on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and protect the civilian population.
High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas emphasised that the Aspides naval mission in the Red Sea is on “high alert” and ready to secure trade routes. The EU is in constant contact with regional partners through diplomatic efforts, and the 27-member bloc has initiated the withdrawal of non-essential personnel from the region, she said.
French President Emmanuel Macron warned that the conflict could have serious consequences for global security. The French head of state called for an immediate halt to the escalation and urged extraordinary consultations with the participation of the international community.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk also called for restraint and warned that further military action could lead to “death, destruction and human suffering.” Meanwhile, several Middle Eastern countries, including Jordan and Qatar, have indicated that they will seek to avoid a widening of the conflict while protecting their own security interests.
The International Committee of the Red Cross warned that military escalation could trigger a chain reaction, with the civilian population suffering the most serious consequences.
The United States and Israel launched a series of airstrikes in Iran on Saturday. According to a report by Israeli public television, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, was also targeted.
Meanwhile in Berlin Iranian dissidents and other supporters of the shah gathered to celebrate the strikes, brandishing the pre-revolutionary Iranian as well as U.S. flags.
