Iran calls on France, Germany and the UK to probe roots of regional conflict

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baqaei, addressed an audience of European and Middle Eastern foreign ministers in Istanbul, urging the three European powers—France, Germany and the United Kingdom—to investigate the root causes of the military confrontations affecting the region. He warned that diplomatic gatherings should not be reduced to mere public-relations events and must instead tackle the fundamental issues fueling the hostilities.

Baqaei condemned what he called the E3’s inconsistent stance, pointing to their lack of response to U.S. and Israeli military pressure on Iran while openly backing Israel. In a separate X post, he contrasted a June 2025 remark by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, which labeled Israel’s actions against Iran as “dirty work,” with a October 2026 warning from the German foreign minister urging restraint to prevent further escalation. The spokesman’s comments underscore Tehran’s demand for a more balanced international approach to the conflict.