EU Leader Urges Netanyahu to Pursue Talks with Iran

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The President of the European Union, Ursula von der Leyen, stated that she had conveyed to the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday that diplomacy is ultimately the best way to resolve the conflict with Iran. Nonetheless, von der Leyen did not call for an immediate ceasefire.

Van der Leyen said that she agreed with Netanyahu in a phone call that "Iran should not have nuclear weapons".

"Of course I think a negotiated solution is, in the long term, the best solution," she said at a press conference at the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Canada, as reported by CNA.

Israel launched a large-scale and surprise military attack on Iran on Friday, which was responded to with a barrage of missiles and drones against Israel.

Von der Leyen, who criticized Israel for its attacks in Gaza, blamed Iran for the new conflict, referring to the UN nuclear watchdog's findings earlier this week that Iran was not in compliance with its obligations.

"In this context, Israel has the right to defend itself. Iran is the principal source of regional instability," von der Leyen claimed.

She said that the G7 Summit should discuss the Iran crisis together with Ukraine, which has been attacked by drones sold to Russia by the Tehran-led country.

"The same type of Iranian-designed and -made drones and ballistic missiles are indiscriminately hitting cities in Ukraine and in Israel. As such, these threats need to be addressed together," she said.

Iran responded to the UN watchdog by stating that it would increase the production of enriched uranium, although not to a level that could be used to make nuclear weapons.

While Israel is widely known to possess nuclear weapons, it does not openly acknowledge it.

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