Foreign Minister: U.S. attack on Iran a major cause for concern
Evrópa Þorgerður Katrín ætlar að móta einfaldar reglur eða leiðbeiningar um úthlutun styrkja til hagsmunasamtaka með og á móti Evrópuaðild. Morgunblaðið/Eyþór
Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, Iceland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, says the U.S. attack on Iran last night is a serious cause for concern regarding the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel. She emphasizes that such conflicts cannot be resolved through military action but require diplomatic negotiations and peaceful dialogue.
“At the end of the day, these states must come together at the negotiating table and agree on peace,” Gunnarsdóttir said.
At the same time, she stated that the prospect of Iran acquiring nuclear weapons would not be in the best interest of the international community. The U.S. military targeted three Iranian sites reportedly connected to the country’s nuclear program. President Donald Trump has claimed that the strikes destroyed key nuclear facilities.
A pressing need for negotiations
“We, like the other Nordic countries, have consistently stressed that this cannot be solved through warfare. It must be resolved through negotiations and robust diplomatic efforts,” said Gunnarsdóttir.
“There is an urgent need to bring Iran back to the negotiating table, because it would be a disaster if they were to acquire nuclear weapons,” she added.
Appealing to reason and responsibility
Gunnarsdóttir underlined the importance of global leaders putting pressure on those involved and appealing to the reason of leaders in Israel, Iran, and the United States to prevent further escalation. She warned that continued or intensified conflict would ultimately harm ordinary civilians the most.
When asked whether Iceland can play a role in the conflict, she replied:
“I believe what we can do is use our voice and join like-minded nations in stressing the danger of further escalation—not just for the Middle East, but for the world as a whole.”
