The first weekly meeting this year of the EU's commissioners focusing on the developments in the Middle East. The EU's foreign policy chief still clinging onto the hope that they can keep Iran within the terms of the 2015 nuclear deal known as the JCPOA.
ADVERTISEMENTAn expression of concern and a repeated call for de-escalation - but not an explicit condemnation of the Iranian strikes on US bases in Iraq.
"The use of weapons must stop now to give space to dialogue. We are called upon to do everything possible to rekindle talks. There cannot be enough of that," Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told reporters.
The first weekly meeting this year of the EU's commissioners focusing on the developments in the Middle East.
The EU's foreign policy chief still clinging onto the hope that they can keep Iran within the terms of the 2015 nuclear deal known as the JCPOA.
"We have been talking with the colleagues on the situation, as you said Madam President, of the JCPOA which is today more important than ever because it's the only place where we can stay together with the Russians and Chinese to talk on a multilateral basis about managing the risk that we're facing," Josep Borrell, EU Foreign Policy chief explained.
Some Middle East experts here in Brussels believe the EU might be well placed to find a step away from confrontation.
"One important actor in all of this could be the EU in terms of...number one, having peacekeeping missions inside of Iraq, and number two...also playing a mediating role, together with the UN, on how to curb Iranian influence in the region in order to build, rebuild the trust between the United States and Iran if that becomes a possibility of the future," Samuel Doveri Vesterbye - Research Director, European Neighbourhood Council told Euronews.
The NATO military alliance headquartered here in Brussels is also calling for de-escalation and says it's watching developments in Iran closely.