Ursula von der Leyen has positioned herself alongside the US and Israel in the Iran war. She has taken a strong stance against the Iranian regime and avoided any criticism of the US and Israeli actions, a position she has maintained since the beginning of the conflict but has sharpened and made even more evident on Monday. On one hand, she stated that the debate of whether "it is a chosen war or a necessary war" is not relevant as it "loses sight of the essential."
On the other hand, she wanted to be "clear": "Not a single tear should be shed for the Iranian regime, which has inflicted death and imposed repression on its own people, causing devastation and destabilization in the entire region through its allies armed with missiles and drones."
The chosen setting to deliver these words is also significant, as she did so at the annual EU ambassadors' conference held in Brussels. There, she directly addressed them and conveyed that they will "hear many opinions" about the reasons for the conflict. However, what matters, continued the President of the Commission, is that "many Iranians, both inside the country and throughout Europe and the world, have celebrated the disappearance of Ayatollah Jamenei."
"And also many other people throughout the region. They hope that this moment can pave the way for a free Iran. The people of Iran deserve freedom, dignity, and the right to decide their own future, even though we know that this will be filled with dangers and instability during and after the war," emphasized the German high official, whose closeness to Israel is well known, as well as her efforts to always maintain the best possible relations with the United States.
More defense and "a world that has disappeared"
The German head of the Commission also stressed the need for Europe to continue its rearmament. It has been one of her central messages since the beginning of her second term, gaining even more importance in an increasingly warlike context. "We have done more in defense in the last year than in decades. We have initiated a massive increase in defense spending: up to 800 billion euros by 2030. Member States are increasing their investments to record levels. The message is clear: peace and security in Europe depend on us, and we are fully assuming that responsibility," she underscored.
Closely linked to this, the President of the Commission delivered a powerful message: that the EU cannot continue to defend a world of values and norms that no longer exists. "The first is that Europe can no longer be the guardian of the old world order, of a world that has disappeared and will not return," she specifically stated.
"We will always defend and uphold the rules-based system that we helped build with our allies, but we can no longer rely on it as the only way to defend our interests or assume that its norms will protect us from the complex threats we face. That is why we need to forge our own European path and find new ways to cooperate with partners," she emphasized.
Von der Leyen's intervention comes at a time of significant internal debate because many voices believe that the President is overstepping her functions. The EU's political and international representation falls under António Costa, head of the European Council, and Kaja Kallas, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs. Therefore, many ambassadors and actors in the EU bubble believe that the calls made by the Executive's head to international leaders are out of place. However, the Commission maintains that this is also part of her role.