Europeans cautious as they scramble to digest major US and Israeli
attack on Iran
[February 28, 2026]
By CLAUDIA CIOBANU
WARSAW (AP) — European leaders scrambled to protect their citizens in
the Middle East and figure out how to respond to U.S. and Israeli
strikes on Iran on Saturday, amid fast-moving developments on the
ground.
Germany is holding an emergency meeting Saturday to discuss the
situation in Iran. The European Union is evacuating some staff from the
region.
The U.S. and Israel launched a major attack on targets across Iran and
U.S. President Donald Trump called on the Iranian people to “take over
your government” — an extraordinary appeal that suggested they could be
seeking to end the country’s theocracy after decades of tensions.
It was unclear whether U.S. allies were given any advance warning of the
attacks. The German government said it was only given notice of the
attacks Saturday morning. France’s junior defense minister said France
knew something would happen, but didn’t know when.
Responding to the attack, the European Union’s top diplomat called the
conflict in the Middle East “perilous” and said she was working with
Israeli and Arab officials to pursue a negotiated peace.
“Iran’s regime has killed thousands. Its ballistic missile and nuclear
programmes, along with support for terror groups, pose a serious threat
to global security,” said Kaja Kallas, foreign policy chief of the
27-nation bloc, in a post on social media.
“The EU is also coordinating closely with Arab partners to explore
diplomatic paths.”
She said the EU was evacuating some staff in the region while keeping in
place a maritime mission in the Red Sea. The EU recently put fresh
sanctions on Iran and leading figures, which prompted retaliatory
sanctions by Tehran.
The German government said it was monitoring the situation in Iran,
Israel and the wider Middle East region after being informed about the
Israeli strikes on Saturday morning. The German government’s crisis
management team is scheduled to meet at noon to discuss the situation in
Iran.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz was already consulting with ministers in
charge of security, and with European partners.
The German government urged German citizens in Iran, Israel, and the
wider region to sign up on the official registration system for citizens
abroad and follow the instructions of the local authorities regarding
the necessary measures for their own protection.
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EU High Representative Kaja Kallas visits the coast guard ship KV
Bjornoya, in Tromso, Norway, Tuesday Feb. 3, 2026. (Rune Stoltz
Bertinussen/NTB Scanpix via AP)
France, whose military has bases and a regular presence in the
Mideast, is calling on French citizens in the region to exercise
extreme caution.
“A military escalation is underway. ... It’s not the time for
negotiations, we are in a situation of war,” junior Defense Minister
Alice Rufo told France-2 television Saturday, comparing the
situation to what happened last June.
“Our priority is the protection of our citizens and protection of
our forces in the region,” she said.
Asked if French forces were involved in the U.S. and Israeli strikes
or targeted in retaliatory strikes, French military spokesperson
Col. Guillaume Vernet said Saturday: “The French armed forces
continuously adapt their posture to threats and implement measures
to ensure the surveillance and protection of military installations
where French soldiers are deployed.”
He would not elaborate.
“Our military presence guarantees France’s independent assessment of
the situation,” he told the AP.
Italy’s government urged Italians to exercise the utmost caution and
follow instructions provided by its embassies in the region. Prime
Minister Giorgia Meloni’s office said the prime minister would be in
contact with the region’s allies and leaders within the next few
hours to “support any initiative that may lead to a de-escalation of
tensions.”
“Italy reiterates its support to the Iranian civilian population,
who courageously continue to demand respect for their civil and
political rights,” Meloni’s office said.
Switzerland called for full respect of international law and urged
“all parties to exercise maximum restraint, protect civilians and
civilian infrastructure.”
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Angela Charlton in Paris, Sam McNeil in Brussels and Paolo
Santalucia in Rome contributed to this report.
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