Potential military involvement by the United States in the wave of strikes between Israel and Iran would "definitely drag" the entire Middle East into a wider, more dangerous conflict, High Representative Kaja Kallas has said. Her warning came after Donald Trump openly suggested his country, a staunch backer of Israel, might take a hands-on approach to end the hostilities. "We're not involved in it. It's possible we could get involved. But we are not at this moment involved," Trump told ABC News on Sunday. He later said the US would be "gloves off" if Iran were to "touch our troops". On Tuesday, Kallas made clear the European Union would not back America's armed intervention. "When it comes to the United States getting involved, then it will definitely drag the region into broader conflict. And this is in nobody's interest," Kallas said in Brussels after hosting a video conference with the EU's 27 foreign affairs ministers. "And from my call with Secretary of State Rubio, he emphasized that it's also not in their interest to be drawn into this conflict," she added, referring to the conversation she had on Monday with her US counterpart. "We are constantly pushing to stop this war because the risks (of) escalation and the risks of spillover effect are too great. Also, the risks of miscalculation, which is making this conflict even bigger." Kallas also weighed in on Trump's stated goal of wanting a "real end" to the conflict that would see Iran giving up its nuclear program "entirely". The comments appeared to be at odds with the EU's long-held position of preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons while permitting civilian uses. "We're looking at better than a ceasefire," Trump said after leaving early the G7 summit in Canada. "A real end. Not a ceasefire. An end." The 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the Iran nuclear deal, was designed to curtail the country's nuclear program and keep it exclusively peaceful in exchange for sanctions relief. But after Trump disavowed the deal in his first mandate, Iran began enriching uranium to levels that seemed to exceed any civilian purposes, causing worldwide alarm and condemnation. Last week, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) found Iran was not complying with its non-proliferation obligations for the first time in 20 years. "A diplomatic solution is the best way to address Iran's programme in the long run, and Europe stands ready to play its part," Kallas said. "We cannot be lenient when Iran accelerates its nuclear program." Following the video call with foreign affairs ministers, Kallas doubled down on her previous calls for maximum restraint and immediate de-escalation, without adding any new element that could expand the bloc's limited role in the Israel-Iran conflict. So far, Europeans have been largely on the political sidelines of the escalation. The most concrete development was the activation of the EU's Civil Protection Mechanism, which is used to coordinate emergency assistance for natural disasters, such as wildfires and floods, and man-made crises, like wars. "We have activated the Civil Protection Mechanism, and we are assisting member states to evacuate their citizens that wish to leave," Kallas said, noting that not all EU countries had the necessary planes to carry out the evacuations. "In parallel, we stand ready to deploy civil protection experts, and our naval operation ASPIDES (in the Red Sea) continues to protect merchant ships from Houthi attacks while providing valuable situational awareness." Kallas said the EU would not "let our focus on Gaza slip" and urged "immediate" and "full" access to humanitarian aid, which Israel has heavily restricted. But she refrained from providing details of the ongoing review of the EU-Israel Association Agreement and how the strikes against Iran might influence the discussions. During the press conference, Kallas was asked whether the market turbulence caused by the Middle East could derail the bloc's plan to lower the price cap on Russia's seaborne crude oil from $60 per barrel to $45 per barrel. The price cap was a ground-breaking measure established by G7 allies to curtail a crucial source of revenues behind Russia's war on Ukraine. Last week, the European Commission formally proposed a downward revision of the cap to further tighten the screws on the Kremlin. The pitch, crucially, has not yet received US backing. Diplomats in Brussels have suggested that, as a result, the review of the cap could be discarded to focus on the remaining elements of the 18th package of sanctions. But Kallas believes the bloc should go it alone. "I think that we should move forward with the (lower) oil price cap, especially because of the tensions also in the Middle East," Kallas said, warning that if the conflict further increases global oil prices, Russia will be able to earn more money from its clients. "That means that they (will be) able to fund their war machine again on a bigger scale. So we definitely need to move on with the oil price gap." The High Representative also struck down Russia's suggestion of playing the role of moderator in the Israel-Iran conflict, arguing the invasion of Ukraine was a disqualifying factor. "Russia cannot be a mediator if they don't really believe in peace," she said. — Euronews
