BRUSSELS: The EU summit did not make any decisions regarding military support for the US in the conflict with Iran, limiting itself to a g...
BRUSSELS: The EU summit did not make any decisions regarding military support for the US in the conflict with Iran, limiting itself to a general call to increase the number of ships in EU missions off the coast of Somalia and in the Red Sea, but without extending their mandate to the Strait of Hormuz, the joint statement on the Middle East said.
"[The EU summit] highlights the role of the EU maritime defensive operations Aspides (in the Red Sea) and Atalanta (off the coast of Somalia), and calls for their reinforcement with more assets, in line with their respective mandates," the document stated.
The statement contains only a general condemnation of actions that "violate freedom of navigation" or "prevent vessels from entering and exiting the Strait of Hormuz." On this matter, EU countries limited themselves to stating that they "welcome the increased efforts announced by member states, including through strengthened coordination with partners in the region, to ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, once the conditions are met."
The statement makes no mention of the possibility of extending the missions' mandate to the Strait of Hormuz, as previously proposed by the EU diplomatic service, nor does it mention any other forms of support for the US.
EU leaders also called on all parties to exercise restraint and to observe "a moratorium on strikes against energy and water facilities." In their final statement, EU leaders "condemned Iran’s indiscriminate military strikes" but made no comment on the US and Israeli strikes, adding that, in the EU’s view, "Iran must never be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon."
EU leaders also praised Ukraine for its readiness to "provide support and expertise in air defense and counter-drone systems" to US allies in the Persian Gulf.
Migration threat
Summit participants expressed particular concern that the conflict in the Middle East could lead to another migration crisis like the one in 2015, when the EU was overwhelmed by over a million illegal migrants arriving in Europe in a single year.
This time, EU leaders promised not to welcome refugees but rather to take all necessary measures to prevent them from entering Europe.
The statement emphasized that, although the current conflict "has not translated into immediate migratory flows towards the European Union, the European Council underlines the importance of maintaining a high level of vigilance and ensuring the necessary level of preparedness."
"On the basis of the lessons learned from the 2015 migration crisis and to avoid a similar situation, the EU is ready to fully mobilize its diplomatic, legal, operational and financial tools to prevent uncontrolled migratory movements to the EU and preserve security in Europe," the document noted.
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