Key Facts
• June 16: EU, UK, France, and Germany held a phone meeting on Israel-Iran conflict.
• June 18: Joint statement urged restraint and return to diplomatic relations.
• Statement criticized Iran’s nuclear development as exceeding civilian purposes.
• Iran was urged to rejoin negotiations and remain in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
• Israel’s right to self-defense was acknowledged, but Iran’s self-defense was not addressed.
Summary
Amid ongoing tensions between Israel and Iran, foreign ministers from the EU, UK, France, and Germany expressed concerns over Iran’s nuclear program, stating it exceeds civilian purposes. In a joint statement issued on June 18, they called for restraint and a return to diplomacy. The statement also urged Iran to rejoin negotiations and warned against withdrawing from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). While Israel’s right to self-defense was acknowledged, the statement did not address Iran’s self-defense, reflecting a diplomatic tilt towards Israel.
