Brussels: Europe and the Arabs - Agencies
European Council President António Costa called on all parties to exercise restraint and respect international law and nuclear safety, following the United States' airstrikes targeting three Iranian nuclear facilities.
Costa expressed his deep concern over the new news from the Middle East in a post on the social media platform X, reported by the European channel Euronews, calling on all parties to exercise restraint and respect international law and nuclear safety.
The European Council President stressed that diplomacy remains the only way to achieve peace and security in the Middle East, warning that many civilians will once again fall victim to further escalation.
Costa indicated that the European Union will continue to engage with the parties and partners to find a peaceful solution at the negotiating table.
It is worth noting that US President Donald Trump announced earlier today that his country had carried out an attack on three Iranian nuclear sites: Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. France expressed its concern over the strikes carried out by the United States last night against three Iranian nuclear sites, calling on all parties to exercise restraint to avoid any escalation that could lead to a wider conflict.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said in a post on the X platform that France learned with deep concern of the strikes carried out by the United States last night against three Iranian nuclear sites, stressing that his country was not involved in these strikes or in their planning.

He added, "In this context, our priority is to ensure the safety of our agents and citizens, as well as our interests and partners in the region," stressing that France has repeatedly expressed its strong opposition to Iran possessing nuclear weapons.

He explained that France is convinced that a lasting solution to this issue requires a negotiated solution within the framework of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, stressing that his country is ready to contribute to achieving this goal in cooperation with its partners.
France took note of the International Atomic Energy Agency's statement, which confirms that no elevated levels of radiation have been detected at this stage. For his part, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called on Iran to "return to the negotiating table" after the United States bombed the country's nuclear sites last night.
In a statement, the British Prime Minister stated that stability in the region is a priority, describing Iran's nuclear program as a "serious threat to international security."
The BBC reported that the United Kingdom had no role in the US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, and that the Prime Minister had been aware of them in advance.
Starmer added: "Iran can never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon, and the United States has taken action to mitigate this threat."
The Iranian Foreign Ministry condemned in the strongest terms the US attack on Iranian nuclear facilities, considering it a flagrant and unprecedented violation of the most fundamental principles of the UN Charter and the rules of international law.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry called on the United Nations, the Security Council, the Secretary-General of the Organization, the International Atomic Energy Agency, and other relevant international bodies to take urgent action against "this criminal violation of the law." The United States announced that it had launched strikes on three nuclear facilities in Iran: Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordow, on Saturday night.
This followed Israel's launch of a new military operation against Iran last night, lasting until June 13. Israel said its targets were military sites, including nuclear facilities.
Iran launched retaliatory strikes, and the exchange of fire between the two countries has continued since then.