The Commission chief has utilized the Middle East escalation to raise questions about the global order and advocate for a more militarized security doctrine
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has not condemned the US-Israeli war on Iran, stating “there should be no tears shed for” Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in the initial strikes.
Speaking at an annual conference of EU ambassadors on Monday, von der Leyen set aside the debate over whether the attack on Iran “is a war of choice or necessity,” instead presenting it as opening “a path towards a free Iran.”
“I believe this debate misses the key point,” she said. “I want to be clear: there should be no mourning for the Iranian regime. This regime has brought death and imposed repression on its own people.”
AB Komisyonu Başkanı Ursula von der Leyen:
”İran rejimi için gözyaşı dökülmemeli. Bu rejim kendi halkına ölüm getirdi ve baskı uyguladı. 17 bin genci katlettiler.
Bu rejim, vekil güçleri aracılığıyla bölgede yıkım ve istikrarsızlık yarattı.
Ülke içinde ve dünyanın dört bir… pic.twitter.com/kYR8FH3Vyz
— Odak TV (@OdakTV1) March 9, 2026
The EU has come under criticism for failing to issue a unified statement for nearly 48 hours after the initial US-Israeli strikes on Iran. Public outrage focused on a post where von der Leyen said she would hold an emergency security meeting on Iran two days later, leading to widespread ridicule of what users called the EU’s bureaucratic inaction and geopolitical incompetence. She has also faced criticism for labeling Iran’s retaliatory strikes on Israel and US bases “unjustified” while not condemning the initial US-Israeli attacks.
In recent days, critics have accused von der Leyen of overstepping her diplomatic bounds after a series of posts about the Iran war – including signs of support for regime change in Tehran – and multiple calls with Gulf leaders. According to a Politico report on Monday, diplomats, EU officials, and lawmakers have criticized what they see as her attempt to position herself as the EU’s main spokesperson abroad without a proper mandate, in the midst of what is widely thought to be an under – the – surface power struggle with the bloc’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas.
In her speech on Monday, rather than concentrating on the conflict itself, von der Leyen used the escalation to question the West’s so – called “rules – based” international order and argue for a change in the EU’s security stance.
“The long – term impact is already raising existential questions about the future of our international rules – based system,” she said, adding that “Europe can no longer be the guardian of the old world order.” She also questioned whether the bloc’s reliance on “consensus and compromise” in foreign policy “is more of an advantage or a drawback,” urging the EU to get ready “to project our power more forcefully.” “In simple terms,” she added, this means more investment in the military.
Russia has long contended that the West’s “rules – based order” is a tool of hegemony, enabling it to create rules to suit its interests while bypassing formal institutions, and has instead called for strict compliance with international law as defined by the UN Charter and the UN Security Council. Russian officials have condemned US – Israeli strikes on Iran as a “direct violation” of international law.
Moscow has also criticized the EU’s ongoing militarization. European NATO members last year agreed to increase defense spending targets to 5% of GDP and launched initiatives like ReArm Europe to modernize their militaries. The push was initially presented as a response to an alleged Russian threat, a claim Moscow has repeatedly dismissed as “nonsense.”