EU and Gulf Cooperation Council leaders condemn ‘unjustifiable Iranian assaults’ throughout area after talks in Brussels.
Printed On 5 Mar 2026
European Union leaders have expressed assist for Arab international locations within the Gulf as Iran continues to launch missile and drone strikes on targets throughout the area in response to attacks by the United States and Israel.
EU international coverage chief Kaja Kallas and different European leaders held talks with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) officers on Thursday in Brussels, denouncing what they described as “Iran’s inexcusable assaults towards the GCC international locations”.
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“The Ministers strongly condemned the unjustifiable Iranian assaults towards the GCC international locations which threaten regional and world safety and known as on Iran to stop instantly its assaults,” they mentioned in a joint EU-GCC statement.
The assertion additionally reaffirmed that Gulf international locations have the precise “to take all crucial measures to defend their safety and stability and defend their territories, residents and residents”.
Reporting from the Belgian capital, Al Jazeera’s Osama Bin Javaid mentioned the message popping out of the talks is that Europe “is able to assist” its allies within the Gulf, “but it surely prefers an answer that may be mediated and encourage de-escalation”.
The assembly got here amid mounting considerations over the widening fallout of US-Israeli assaults on Iran, which have killed at the very least 1,230 folks since Saturday, based on Iranian state media retailers.
Israel has expanded its military campaign to Lebanon, whereas the US on Wednesday mentioned it had sunk an Iranian frigate in worldwide waters, killing dozens of individuals on board.
Iran additionally continues to fireplace at international locations throughout the area, together with Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait, whereas its strikes have progressively focused vitality infrastructure, elevating fears they may have an effect on world vitality markets.
European international locations have more and more been drawn into the widening battle, with France and the UK on Wednesday asserting plans to send warships and air defence assets to Cyprus.
The transfer comes after a British Royal Air Pressure base on the Mediterranean island was targeted by an Iranian-made drone earlier this week, fuelling alarm.
On Thursday, Italy mentioned it’s going to ship “naval property” to Cyprus within the coming days, together with the Netherlands and Spain.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni additionally informed reporters that Italy would offer air defence methods to its Gulf allies to counter Iranian strikes.
In the meantime, the UK, Greece and Portugal have mentioned they’d permit the US navy to make use of their bases beneath sure circumstances because the conflict continues, whereas Spain has refused, drawing the ire of US President Donald Trump.
