The three European countries issued a statement Monday calling on Iran and its allies to refrain from attacks against Israel.
“Without any objection to the crimes of the Zionist regime [Israel], the E3 statement impudently requires Iran not to respond to a violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said.
Kanaani called on Paris, Berlin and London to “once and for all stand up against the war in Gaza and the warmongering of Israel.”
Iran’s president on Monday told Britain’s prime minister that Iran has a right to retaliate against Israel over the killing of Hamas official Ismail Haniyeh, and retaliation would discourage future aggression, according to a report by Iran’s official IRNA news agency.
Meanwhile, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby warned that Israel and its allies must be prepared for “what could be a significant set of attacks” from Iran as soon as “this week.”
In response to growing tensions, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Sunday ordered the USS Georgia, a guided missile submarine, to the Middle East and told the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group to accelerate its transit to the region.
Asked whether the submarine announcement was a message to Iran, Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said, “Absolutely.”
“We’re trying to send a message, which is we’re looking to de-escalate the situation, that we’re looking to have capabilities in the region to protect our forces while also support the defense of Israel,” Ryder told reporters at the Pentagon on Monday.
In addition to the call for restraint, the European leaders expressed “full support” for efforts to reach a cease-fire and hostage release deal in Gaza, along with the unfettered delivery of humanitarian aid.
They also endorsed the latest push by the United States, Qatar and Egypt, to broker an agreement to end the Israel-Hamas war.
Ari Circurel, assistant director of foreign policy at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America, said while there may be a cease-fire at some point, “the hostages are Hamas’ last point of leverage.”
“Hamas has repeatedly rejected Israel’s efforts to reach a cease-fire and hostage deal, and unfortunately, it’s really unclear at this time what, if anything, would change that approach,” Circurel said.
On Monday, Hamas said its soldiers killed one Israeli hostage and wounded two others.
A spokesperson for the Hamas militants, Abu Obaida, blamed the murder by the hostage’s guard on what he said was an Israeli “massacre” of Palestinians. He said two Israeli female hostages were injured in a separate incident.
Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas in retaliation for the Oct. 7 terror attack that killed 1,200 people and led to the capture of 250 hostages. Israel’s counteroffensive has killed nearly 40,000 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry, while Israel says the death toll includes thousands of Hamas fighters.
