European leaders decry Iran’s strike on Israel and call for restraint

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is among scores of European leaders strongly condemning Iran’s Monday night missile attack on Israel — an assault that threatens to destabilise the Middle East and throw the region into all-out war.

“I urge all parties to protect the life of innocent civilians,” von der Leyen said in a statement circulated on Tuesday.

“The European Union continues to call for a ceasefire across the border with Lebanon, and in Gaza, and for the release of all hostages that are held since almost a year.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to retaliate after Tehran fired some 180 ballistic missiles on Israel overnight, stating in a video posted on social media platform X that “Iran made a big mistake tonight — and will pay for it”.

Iran’s attack follows the Israeli army’s bombardment of Lebanon, in which it killed numerous senior members of the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah.

Hezbollah has fired near-daily rockets on Israel since the start of the Hamas-Israel war on 7 October last year.

Since then, more than 41,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip due to Israeli air and ground incursions, with just over half the dead women and children, according to local health officials.

The EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borell said the ongoing bombardment of tit-for-tat attacks risks fuelling an uncontrollable regional escalation.

“We call on all parties to exert maximum restraint,” he said a statement.

European Council President Charles Michel said the EU “stands ready” to support efforts to deescalate tensions, and that a regional war is in “no one’s interest”.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he “utterly” condemned Iran’s attempt to harm innocent Israelis, warning that the incident threatens to “push the region ever closer to the brink” of war.

“It cannot be tolerated,” Starmer added.

This rhetoric was echoed by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who said the assault should be “strongly condemned” and said a far worse outcome was only prevented by Israel’s Iron Dome defence air system.

Spain’s President Pedro Sánchez also condemned the attack, calling for the “spiral of violence to end now”.

Sánchez, whose government recently recognised Palestinian statehood, said lasting peace can be secured in the region once ceasefires are eventually brokered between Israel and Hamas and Israel and Hezbollah.