Production: By Europod, in co-production with Sphera Network.
EUobserver is proud to have an editorial partnership with Europod to co-publish the podcast series “Briefed” hosted by Léa Marchal. The podcast is available on all major platforms.
You can find the transcript here if you prefer reading:
Historically, the EU has placed crucial importance on upholding international law. But after the US and Israeli strikes in Iran, the EU is turning a blind eye to the violation of the principles of the UN charter.
Are we witnessing an erosion of this principle within the EU?
Hi, I’m Léa Marchal, and I make sure you’re briefed on the most important things happening across Europe.
On Saturday, February 28, the United States and Israel jointly launched a military offensive against Iran. Their goal is to disarm the Iranian regime, which has been seeking to acquire nuclear weapons for years. The US also aims to overthrow Iran’s current leadership, which is why they killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.
In retaliation, Iran fired missiles at Israel and several US military bases in the region. Iran also attacked neighbouring territories: Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, and Kuwait were all hit by missiles over the weekend.
So far, over 500 people are reported to have been killed by the strikes in Iran, around ten in Israel, several US soldiers, and at least five people in the Gulf states.
In southern Iran, a strike reportedly killed dozens at a girls’ school located near an Iranian military base.
On Saturday, UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres firmly condemned both the US and Israeli attacks and Iran’s retaliatory strikes across the region.
So, what is the European reaction?
Germany, France, and the UK were the first to respond over the weekend with a joint statement.
The leaders of these three countries did not openly endorse the US-Israeli offensive, but their message leaned in that direction: they declared their readiness to take “defensive actions” to destroy Iran’s military capabilities.
A little later on Sunday, the 27 EU member states agreed on a more watered-down statement: they called for restraint and respect for international law, however, without condemning the US and Israeli strikes, which violate that very law.
Because, according to the UN charter, no UN member may use force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state.
But apart from Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez, no European leader acknowledged the illegality of the US and Israeli strikes.
On Monday, EU Commission spokespeople avoided commenting on the US-Israeli offensive altogether.
Instead, they reiterated their firm opposition to Iran’s repressive regime:
“What we do not support is the oppressive regime that has been killing people in Iran, and that is against any law.”
So why isn’t the EU using the same language as the UN secretary-general?
The EU has long opposed the Iranian regime.
But the Europeans’ silence on the legality of the US and Israeli strikes is mostly explained by their reluctance to directly challenge Donald Trump.
As German chancellor Friedrich Merz put it this weekend: “This is not the time to lecture our allies.”
If we take a look back at when the US intervened in Venezuela to capture President Nicolás Maduro last January, the EU already did not take a stance on the US operation—instead, it criticised Maduro’s authoritarian regime.
Can we still count on the European Union to uphold international law?
When it comes to the United States — Nato’s leading partner — and as long as European territory isn’t directly targeted, the EU struggles to unequivocally reaffirm the principles of non-aggression, as it did against Russia.
Especially since, in Iran’s case, Europeans have spent weeks condemning the regime’s crackdown on protesters, which reportedly led to tens of thousands of deaths.
It’s therefore difficult for the EU to condemn the other side—especially when that side is its main ally.
And with that, you are now briefed on Europe’s reaction to the unfolding Middle East conflict.
Thank you for listening, and see you tomorrow.
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