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 help 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 stated in a joint EU-GCC statement.
The assertion additionally reaffirmed that Gulf international locations have the fitting “to take all vital measures to defend their safety and stability and shield their territories, residents and residents”.
Reporting from the Belgian capital, Al Jazeera’s Osama Bin Javaid stated the message popping out of the talks is that Europe “is able to assist” its allies within the Gulf, “nevertheless it prefers an answer that may be mediated and encourage de-escalation”.
The assembly got here amid mounting issues over the widening fallout of US-Israeli assaults on Iran, which have killed at the 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 stated it had sunk an Iranian frigate in worldwide waters, killing dozens of individuals on board.
Iran additionally continues to fireside at international locations throughout the area, together with Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait, whereas its strikes have progressively focused power infrastructure, elevating fears they might have an effect on world power 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 stated it should ship “naval belongings” to Cyprus within the coming days, together with the Netherlands and Spain.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni additionally advised reporters that Italy would supply air defence programs to its Gulf allies to counter Iranian strikes.
In the meantime, the UK, Greece and Portugal have stated they’d enable the US army to make use of their bases underneath sure circumstances because the warfare continues, whereas Spain has refused, drawing the ire of US President Donald Trump.
