Von der Leyen positions herself alongside the US and Israel in Iran's war: "Not a single tear should be shed for the Iranian regime"

Commission president Ursula von der Leyen positioned herself on the side of the US and Israel in the war with Iran.

“Ursula von der Leyen has positioned herself on the side of the US and Israel in the war with Iran”

El Mundo

She said she is completely against the Iranian regime and that she has avoided criticism of US and Israeli actions.

El Mundo

She sharpened this stance this Monday, arguing the debate over whether 'it is a chosen war or a necessary war' is irrelevant because it 'loses sight of what is essential.'

She declared, 'No tears should be shed for the Iranian regime, which has inflicted death and imposed repression on its own people and which has caused devastation and destabilization across the region through its armed allies equipped with missiles and drones.'

She made the remarks at the EU ambassadors' annual conference in Brussels and told ambassadors they 'will hear many opinions' about the reasons for the conflict.

Von der Leyen said many Iranians inside the country and across Europe and the world celebrated the disappearance of ayatolá Jamenei.

She said many other people throughout the region hope this moment can open a path toward a free Iran.

El Mundo

She insisted the people of Iran deserve freedom, dignity, and the right to decide their own future, even though this will be full of dangers and instability during and after the war.

The article notes her closeness to Israel and her efforts to maintain the best possible relations with the United States.

The Commission president pushed for more European rearmament.

“Ursula von der Leyen has positioned herself on the side of the US and Israel in the war with Iran”

El Mundo

She said 'We have done more on defense in the last year than in decades'.

She announced a 'massive increase in defense spending: up to €800 billion by 2030'.

She said Member States are increasing investments to record levels.

She asserted 'peace and security in Europe depend on us and we are fully assuming that responsibility'.

Von der Leyen argued Europe can no longer be 'the guardian of the old world order, of a world that has disappeared and will not return'.

She said the EU must both defend the rules-based system it helped build and 'build our own European path' by finding new ways to cooperate with partners.

Her intervention took place amid an internal EU debate about whether she is overstepping her functions.

The article says EU foreign policy and international representation 'correspond to António Costa, head of the European Council, and to Kaja Kallas, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs.'

El Mundo

Many ambassadors and actors in the EU bubble believe the Commission chief's calls to international leaders are out of place, while the Commission maintains that such outreach is also part of her work.