ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Senior diplomatic sources from France and Finland on Tuesday called for restraint and a return to diplomacy as hostilities between Israel and Iran intensified.
Israel on Friday launched a massive aerial assault on Iran, killing several top military commanders and nuclear scientists. In retaliation, Iran has fired waves of missile and drone attacks on Israeli territory, hitting vital targets across Israeli cities.
Responding to a question by Rudaw on whether Paris had participated in the Israeli operations, the senior French diplomatic source said, “We neither supported it nor participated in it,” urging “the reduction of tensions as soon as possible” as “increasing regional tensions is not in anyone's interest.”
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, further remarked, “Now, we ask all parties to exercise restraint” and urged the United States and Iran to return to the negotiating table and “begin dialogue to reach an agreement regarding the nuclear program.”
The senior French diplomat also asserted that France, “alongside Germany, Britain, and all of Europe, are ready to play a role in restarting the negotiations.”
On Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron emphasized “the urgent need for de-escalation between Israel and Iran,” adding, “only a rigorous negotiation will ensure that Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon and that safety is ensured for all in the Middle East.”
For its part, the Finnish foreign ministry told Rudaw that its diplomatic missions in the region will remain open, urging a return to diplomacy and refraining from military action.
“Regional security issues cannot be resolved without political solutions,” the ministry said in an email, adding that “when tensions rise, citizens who are close to the conflicts suffer the most.”
It added that the escalating tensions will “affect the entire region as well as global stability, causing social, political, and economic instability.”
“Finland, as part of the European Union’s 27 member-states, supports diplomatic solutions to prevent the increase of tensions.”
For his part, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul remarked in a statement on X that the escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran is “deeply burdening the entire region.”
“Every new round of strikes brings more human suffering, deepens the rifts, and reduces the scope for a diplomatic solution,” Wadephul said.
According to Israeli authorities, at least 24 civilians have been killed and 592 injured since the conflict erupted on Friday. For its part, Iran says some 224 people have been killed and 1,277 others injured in Israeli strikes across the country.
EU foreign ministers are scheduled to meet on June 23 to discuss the escalating Israel-Iran conflict and other developments in the Middle East.
