In connection with the tension in the Middle East, several Slovak MEPs warn against violations of international law and warn of the risk of further destabilization of the region. At the same time, they differ in their assessment of the causes of the current development. This follows from their statements to TASR on Monday.
In short:
- Slovak MEPs warn against violations of international law and destabilization of the Middle East
- Miriam Lexmann describes Iran as a security and economic risk for Europe and Ukraine
- Milan Uhrík claims that the American-Israeli attack proves the breakdown of the international order
Vice President of the European Parliament (EP) Martin Hojsík (RE/PS) said that the Iranian regime “has a lot of blood on its hands”, but according to him, measures against it should not be taken in violation of international law. At the same time, he indicated that the weekend American-Israeli attacks may also be related to the domestic political situation of the leaders of both countries. “US President Donald Trump has to cover up his pedophile scandal with (deceased sex offender Jeffrey) Epstein, and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s ongoing corruption trial,” he noted.
Concerns about escalation
According to Hojsík, there is a threat of escalation in the region, as the regime in Tehran “has nothing to lose”. However, he added that this is not a situation comparable to Russian aggression against Ukraine, as the goal is not to occupy the country. According to him, the development can have several scenarios, from the rapid fall of the regime to a wider regional escalation.
EP Quaestor Miriam Lexmann (EPP/KDH) emphasized that she has been drawing attention to the threat posed by the Iranian regime for a long time. She recalled, for example, the suppression of protests in Iran and called on the Slovak government to clearly stand on the side of protecting peace and human rights. According to her, Iran represents a security and economic risk for Europe, supports terrorism and is an ally of Russia in the war in Ukraine.
Nuclear threats
“The International Atomic Energy Agency warned several times about the existing stockpiles of highly enriched uranium in Iran and called on the country’s representatives to cooperate and provide concrete information, which never happened,” Lexmann recalled, adding that Iran ignored the demands despite repeated calls during negotiations with the US. According to her, in response, the European Union should focus on building its own defense capacities and increasing its geopolitical influence.
MEP Milan Uhrík (ESN/Republika) described the US-Israeli attack on Iran as proof of the breakdown of the international order. “Of course, Iran’s hard theocratic Islamic regime cannot be defended, but the arbitrary firing of rockets and the killing of leaders of foreign states is equally indefensible,” he pointed out. According to him, the development of the situation is difficult to predict and can lead either to the fall of the regime or to extensive destabilization of the region.
Support for diplomatic solutions
“In any case, I find it cynical that while the Americans pretended to be interested in diplomatic negotiations with Iran, they were meanwhile preparing the army for a military attack,” he added.
Slovak MEP Branislav Ondruš (unaligned/Hlas-SD) talks about another violation of the foundations of international law. “The US and Israel are behaving like international terrorists and have supported the right of any country in the world to ‘preemptively strike’ at their own discretion, thereby definitively recognizing Russia’s right to any of the attacks against Ukraine so far,” he declared.
Referring to statements by Omani officials, he noted that the weekend attack was not related to efforts to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. “With lies about weapons of mass destruction, the US has paved the way to take over the Iraqi oil fields. I have no doubt that it is again about Iran’s energy raw materials and increasing the profits of arms corporations. Netanyahu, on the other hand, is willing to kill thousands of innocent civilian victims just to avoid a fair conviction for corruption. There is nothing else in this context,” he added. He expects destabilization similar to situations after the violent overthrow of regimes in the past in the Middle East.
