SAEDNEWS: As Iran and Israel pull back from the brink, Europe cautiously welcomes a ceasefire and calls for a return to negotiations. But beneath the calm lies a volatile equilibrium.
=According to Saed News, the European Union’s foreign-policy chief, Kaja Kallas, has cautiously welcomed the ceasefire between Iran and Israel, describing it as a moment that must be seized for diplomacy rather than squandered through renewed aggression.
Posting on X, Ms Kallas remarked: “The declaration of a halt in hostilities between Israel and Iran is welcome news. All sides must uphold this ceasefire and refrain from any further violence. Any additional escalation must be completely avoided.” She added that the current pause should serve as “a turning point for the entire region,” and pledged to continue diplomatic engagement with all parties involved.
Her remarks followed similar statements by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and other senior EU officials, who framed the truce not as a resolution but as a critical opportunity to steer the region back from protracted instability.
The ceasefire follows an extraordinary few weeks of regional turmoil. On June 13th, Israeli forces launched a barrage of precision strikes on Iranian cities, including Tehran, and reportedly targeted nuclear facilities. Iran called the attacks a “flagrant violation” of sovereignty and international law. Casualties included scientists, members of the armed forces, and civilians. Days later, in a stark escalation, the United States entered the fray, striking Iranian nuclear sites in Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan—aligning militarily with Israel in what Tehran deemed a coordinated assault.
Iran’s response was both rhetorical and legal. Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi invoked Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, reaffirming Iran’s right to self-defense and warning that Tehran retains “all options” to safeguard national security.
Donald Trump, the American president, took to social media earlier this week to declare a ceasefire had been reached—a move seen by critics as an attempt to claim credit for preventing a conflict he had done little to avert. Iranian officials, for their part, were careful to stress that they had not initiated the conflict and would refrain from further military action so long as Israeli attacks ceased.
Yet the atmosphere remains combustible. Iran’s Supreme National Security Council issued a blunt warning: “The Islamic Republic’s armed forces, without the slightest trust in the words of its enemies, remain at full readiness, fingers on the trigger, prepared to deliver a resolute and regret-inducing response to any act of aggression.”
For European diplomats, the challenge now is to transform a temporary ceasefire into a durable political process. But that will depend less on Brussels’ entreaties and more on the willingness of Washington, Tel Aviv, and Tehran to recalibrate their positions. With nuclear facilities damaged, regional alliances tested, and public tempers inflamed, the road back to diplomacy will be long—and possibly illusory.
Still, for now, the guns have fallen silent. That, in the Middle East, is no small achievement.
