US, EU urge Israel not to spark regional war in Iran response
| Published date | 16 April 2024 |
| Author | TOVAH LAZAROFF |
| Publication title | Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel) |
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called on Israel to constrain its response and refrain from taking escalatory steps.
"We are standing by Israel and supporting Israel against the Iranian attacks," Borrell said on Tuesday.
He cautioned, however, that "every time another step is taken on that ladder, the intensity of the military response increases, and we will end up with a fully blown war which nobody wants." Borrell spoke with reporters in Brussels as he reported on the results of an informal virtual meeting he held with the bloc's 27 foreign ministers on Tuesday.
"We have to mobilize all of our diplomatic means to avoid any move" that would lead "us into a regional war. That is what we're trying to avoid," he stated.
The US and the EU spoke out as the IDF has made a decision on how to respond but has not yet set the timing for when to take action.
A war cabinet meeting that was scheduled for Tuesday, was delayed until Wednesday.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock flew to Israel on Tuesday. British Foreign Minister David Cameron was expected to arrive on Wednesday to discuss the need for a moderate Iranian response with Israeli officials.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak issued a similar message when he spoke by phone Tuesday with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu
"(Sunak) stressed that significant escalation was in no one's interest and would only deepen insecurity in the Middle East. This was a moment for calm heads to prevail," Sunak's office said in a readout of the call.
Israel weathered the attack due to the combined efforts of a newly forged regional military coalition that involved the IDF as well as the British, French, Jordanian, and American armies. The leaders of those countries feel that they have a particular stake in a decision that Israel takes.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held an intense series of diplomatic conversations to avoid escalation, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters in Washington.
Blinken spoke with the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar on Tuesday and continued talks with members of the war cabinet, Miller said.
Blinken is delivering the same message in every conversation that the US does not want to see further escalation of...
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