<figure id="attachment_3294000" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-3294000" style="width: 1600px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-3294000" src="https://media.freemalaysiatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/6a08981d-us-iran.jpg" alt="US Iran" width="1600" height="1000" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-3294000" class="wp-caption-text">USS Bulkeley launches a tomahawk missile during operations supporting &#8216;Operation Epic Fury&#8217; from an undisclosed location. (AFP pic)</figcaption></figure>
BRUSSELS: The EU warned Sunday against a prolonged war in the Middle East, saying further escalation could threaten Europe and beyond, as it urged Iran to refrain from indiscriminate retaliation after US-Israeli strikes.
Foreign ministers from the bloc&#8217;s 27 nations &#8211; most of which are Nato members &#8211; held extraordinary talks via video link on day two of an assault that killed Iran&#8217;s supreme leader, as EU chief Ursula von der Leyen called for a &#8220;credible transition&#8221; in the country.
&#8220;The Middle East stands to lose greatly from any drawn-out war,&#8221; the European Union&#8217;s top diplomat Kaja Kallas said, speaking on behalf of member states after the meeting.
&#8220;The events unfolding in Iran must not lead to an escalation that could threaten the Middle East, Europe and beyond, with unpredictable consequences, also in the economic sphere.&#8221;
Writing on social media after calls with several Middle East leaders, von der Leyen said the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei spurred &#8220;renewed hope for the people of Iran&#8221; but also carried &#8220;a real risk of instability&#8221;.
The Islamic republic launched a new round of retaliatory attacks across the Gulf on Sunday after vowing to avenge the supreme leader.
Nato said its top commander in Europe was &#8220;closely&#8221; following developments in the Middle East and adjusting forces as needed to defend against &#8220;potential threats&#8221; &#8211; citing in particular &#8220;ballistic missiles or unmanned aerial vehicles, emanating from this or other regions&#8221;.
The commander, US General Alexus Grynkewich, was speaking &#8220;actively and regularly&#8221; with military leaders on both sides of the Atlantic, and with Nato&#8217;s secretary general Mark Rutte, the alliance said.
Von der Leyen said Brussels was engaging closely &#8220;with all key actors&#8221; to safeguard stability and security.
&#8220;The risk of further escalation is real. This is why a credible transition in Iran is urgently needed,&#8221; she wrote on X, calling for a &#8220;lasting solution&#8221;, after speaking with Qatar&#8217;s ruler Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
&#8220;This must mean the halt of Iran&#8217;s military nuclear and ballistic missile programmes and the end of destabilising actions on air, land and at sea.&#8221;
Von der Leyen also spoke with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Jordan&#8217;s King Abdullah II and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Likewise, Kallas said she was in contact with regional partners &#8220;that bear the brunt of Iran&#8217;s military actions&#8221; to find practical steps for de-escalation.
&#8220;The death of Ali Khamenei is a defining moment in Iran&#8217;s history,&#8221; she wrote on X.
&#8220;What comes next is uncertain. But there is now an open path to a different Iran, one that its people may have greater freedom to shape&#8221;.

MatchPoint Times

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