EU Council President Charles Michel Sees Israeli Attack on Iran as Potential Escalation Ender

Brussels (Brussels Morning) – EU Council President Charles Michel sees Friday’s Israeli strike on Iran as a potential de-escalation opportunity, stressing the critical days ahead. He urges for stability and offers advice to Israel amid ongoing tensions.

The president of the European Council Charles Michel hopes Friday’s apparent Israeli retaliation strike will be the last in the current escalation with Iran and considers the next “hours and days” will be critical.

According to Euronews, Charles Michel stated “What is important is the intensity of the reaction. It’s very important to observe in the next days if indeed it’s possible to come back to a situation with more stability and to avoid more risks and more tensions.”

What role does the President play in advising Israel?

“I want to be very cautious and careful, but I sincerely hope that what happened (…) is the end of that story,” he said. 

Moreover, Michel stated: “There is a political debate, I suppose, within the government in Israel. This is a coalition and they have discussions and they are making decisions. But we have a responsibility because we are a friend of Israel (…) to give advice and tell them what we think,” he added.

How does Michel prioritize Gaza’s humanitarian crisis?

In his interview with Euronews, Michel also called for the Iran-Israel tensions not to take concentrate away from the persistent humanitarian tragedy in Gaza, repeating the joint call from EU leaders for a ceasefire and unchecked humanitarian access, as well as the immediate return of Israeli hostages held by Hamas since October 7th.

What measures does the EU plan to take against Iran?

The president also pledged the bloc would move quickly to slap sanctions on the Iranian regime to further conceal its ability to launch attacks such as last Saturday’s. EU is looking to extend the current sanctions regime against Iranian drone technology, also known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which Tehran sends to Russia to bolster its war efforts in Ukraine, including the production of missiles and to cover its proxies in the region. 

“The sanctions – it doesn’t have an immediate effect,” Michel admitted. “But we want to send a signal to Iran that we do not accept this behaviour. “This behaviour is a threat to the stability in the region (…) But it’s also a threat to us. We can see how Iran is using proxies like the Houthis, for instance, putting maritime security in danger,” he went on. “And it has an impact at the international level, including in terms of supply chains.”

What are the implications of Iran’s proxy activities in the region?

The Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah has repeatedly traded fire over Israel’s northern border with Lebanon since the eruption of the war in Gaza. Iran’s proxies in Yemen, the Houthis, have also undermined Western and Israel-linked vessels navigating the Red Sea.

How do conflicting reports on recent events reflect internal divisions within Israel’s leadership?

Friday incursions, targeted at a nuclear centre and central air base, were according to US officials undertaken by Israel but there are conflicting reports about the nature and hierarchy of the offensive. 

Tehran expressed the attack involved drones launched from within Iranian territory, while the US has said missiles were involved. The happening took the West off-guard, with statements that Benjamin Netanyahu’s government would withhold from striking back until after the Jewish holiday of Passover.

The Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir took to social media on Friday morning with a one-word statement: “feeble.” The provocation reveals deep rifts within Netanyahu’s war cabinet on the needed scale and intensity of Israel’s response to Saturday’s attack by Tehran.