So far, there have been only cautious warnings – almost whispered – and no outright condemnation of the US-Israeli offensive against Iran. While deeply concerned by the prospect of a regime change imposed by outside force, the main European allies of the United States and Israel – France, Germany and the United Kingdom – exercised great caution on Saturday, February 28, following strikes against Iranian regime officials and the country's nuclear and ballistic facilities. At the same time, they strongly condemned the retaliation orchestrated in the region by Tehran.
In a joint statement released Saturday afternoon, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer reaffirmed their "commitment to regional stability and to the protection of civilian life," neither providing further comment nor calling for restraint.
"We did not participate in these strikes, but are in close contact with our international partners, including the United States, Israel and partners in the region," the three leaders (France, the UK and Germany, the E3) – signatories in 2015 alongside China, Russia and the US to the agreement meant to regulate Iran's nuclear activities – noted in a brief statement. That agreement was unilaterally repudiated three years later by Donald Trump.
