ISLAMABAD: European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has called on the United States and Israel to end their war with Iran, saying the bloc is working with Middle Eastern countries to find a diplomatic way out of the conflict, international media reported on Tuesday.
Kallas said the EU was consulting regional governments, including Gulf states, Jordan and Egypt, to explore proposals that could help de-escalate tensions and bring all sides to the negotiating table, US News reported, citing Reuters.
“It would be in the interest of everybody if this war stops,” she said, warning that conflicts are easier to start than to end and can quickly spiral out of control.
The EU’s top diplomat said Europe was open to playing a role in ensuring freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, but stressed that any involvement would likely be diplomatic rather than military.
Kallas also acknowledged growing unease in Europe over Washington’s approach, saying the EU did not fully understand some US actions or objectives in Iran, but had adapted to what she described as increasing unpredictability.
The conflict has further strained transatlantic ties, with Kallas noting that European countries were not consulted before the war began and had, in fact, urged restraint.
However, she noted that any agreement would depend on the willingness of regional stakeholders, particularly Iran, to engage in such arrangements.
Her remarks come as several European nations have rejected calls by Donald Trump to join a US-led mission to reopen the vital shipping route, which remains largely disrupted due to Iran’s control. European leaders have expressed reluctance to deploy forces in a conflict they say they did not initiate.
Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, President Trump said NATO was making a "foolish mistake" on Iran, after the military alliance's members largely rebuffed his calls to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz to oil traffic.
"I think NATO is making a very foolish mistake," Trump told reporters as he hosted Ireland's prime minister in the Oval Office. "When they say it (Iran) was a threat, but we're not going to help, I think they're very foolish."
Earlier, Turkiye Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan warned that if the Middle East war spread, it could create a "permanent" refugee crisis, Turkey's top diplomat warned Tuesday as Lebanon said Israel's bombardment had displaced over a million people.
"If the war... spreads, there is a possibility this will turn into a permanent refugee crisis with refugees seeking shelter outside the borders of their countries," Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told a news conference.
"This needs to stop as soon as possible."
