The chairwoman of the Iran delegation in the European Parliament, Green Party MP Hannah Neumann, has urged Israel and the United States to state clearly what they hope to achieve in Iran. “Israel talks of a preventive strike against its nuclear programme; the United States is aiming for a regime change” she told the German editorial network RND.
Neumann says Europe now needs clear answers from the US and Israel about their real objectives. Only once the goal of the military strikes is identified can Europe, together with Gulf states, determine its role in the conflict. “Our primary goal must be to protect the people in the region” she added.
She criticised the fact that both the European Union as a whole and individual member states were effectively left out of the planning and execution of the first military strikes. “It is essential that we now coordinate closely and establish operational capacity. Developments in the region directly affect us in Europe” Neumann said.
The Green Party MP also warned about unforeseen consequences of the attacks. “We can only hope that the United States and Israel have a solid plan and that they are not steering toward a prolonged escalation” she told RND. She noted that the early, targeted counter‑attacks on U.S. military bases in several countries had already demonstrated that the Tehran regime is very well prepared.
“During the twelve‑day war, the hope for regime change in Iran did not materialise” the Iran expert added. Regime change can only happen if significant parts of the Iranian security apparatus defect, and there are so far no indications of that.
Meanwhile, Iranian state media reports that over 50 girls were killed and dozens more injured in a rocket attack on the southern part of the country.
Michael Rimmel, head of the Konrad‑Adenauer‑Stiftung in Israel, said that a change of leadership in Iran can only be achieved through engagement of the Iranian people. “If the Iranian public pushes for a leadership change, it could succeed” he told RND. “Airstrikes alone are not sufficient; it ultimately depends on what happens on the streets of Iran today”.
According to Rimmel, the airstrikes by Israel and the U.S. come at a strategically advantageous moment. Iran is weaker than it has been in years. Its military capacity to strike Israel and other targets is diminished, as are the capabilities of Hezbollah and Hamas. “From a strategic point of view, there haven’t been such favourable conditions for this type of attack in a long time” he said.
The EU expects that Israel will support these attacks. For the EU, the initial priority is to evacuate its citizens from the conflict zone. “The Israeli government, however, already expects the EU to understand the war of attack and to provide at least moral support” Rimmel added.
