On Iran’s unprecedented attack against Israel and the need for de-escalation and an EU response

B90249/2024

European Parliament resolution on Iran’s unprecedented attack against Israel and the need for de-escalation and an EU response

(2024/2704(RSP))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to its previous resolutions on Iran,

– having regard to its previous resolutions on the Israel-Palestine conflict,

– having regard to the statement of 3 April 2024 by the Spokesperson of the European External Action Service (EEAS) on the attack in Damascus,

– having regard to the statement of 14 April 2024 by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on behalf of the EU on Iran,

– having regard to the press remarks by Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (VP/HR) Josep Borrell on 16 April 2024 after the extraordinary meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council,

– having regard to the European Council conclusions of 17 April 2024 on the Middle East,

– having regard to Council Common Position 2008/944/CFSP of 8 December 2008 defining common rules governing control of exports of military technology and equipment,

– having regard to the EU Guidelines on promoting compliance with international humanitarian law,

– having regard to the provisional measures ordered by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the case concerning Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v. Israel),

– having regard to the Charter of the United Nations, in particular Articles 2(4) and 51 thereof,

– having regard to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court,

– having regard to the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes against Internationally Protected Persons, including Diplomatic Agents,

– having regard to the statement of 16 April 2024 by five UN special procedures experts on the retaliatory military attacks between Israel and Iran,

– having regard to Rule 132(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas on 13 and 14 April 2024, Iran and aligned groups launched hundreds of drones and missiles against Israel; whereas this attack was unprecedented, as it was the first time that Iran directly attacked Israel from its territory; whereas, according to Israel, more than 99 % of these drones and missiles were intercepted, reportedly with the assistance of the US, the UK, France and regional actors; whereas this attack fortunately did not result in any deaths, but some people were injured, including a 7-year-old girl;

B. whereas Iran justifies these attacks as being in retaliation for the alleged Israeli air strike on 1 April 2024 on an Iranian consulate building in Damascus, which was reportedly used as a command post; whereas this attack resulted in 16 people being killed, including two high-level generals of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), five Iranian military officers and six Syrian civilians; whereas Iran warned that Israeli retaliation for its strikes of 13 and 14 April would lead to further attacks;

C. whereas on 19 April 2024, Israel allegedly retaliated against Iran’s attack by launching air strikes on a military airbase and nuclear facilities near Isfahan, Iran; whereas no casualties were reported; whereas satellite images confirmed that the Iranian airbase was not extensively damaged; whereas the International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that the Iranian nuclear facilities had not been damaged by the attack;

D. whereas the terrorist attacks by Hamas on 7 October 2023 and the unprecedented Israeli military response on Gaza have deeply destabilised the region;

E. whereas since 7 October 2023, Hezbollah has continuously launched rockets, missiles and drones at Israel and attacked Israeli soldiers, which has led to several violent skirmishes between Hezbollah and the Israeli military in southern Lebanon, causing the evacuation of tens of thousands of civilians;

F. whereas since 7 October 2023, Iran-backed militias in Syria have stepped up the firing of drones and rockets at Israel;

G. whereas since 7 October 2023, Israel has stepped up its assassinations of senior Hamas, Hezbollah and Iranian figures, as well as its air strikes against targets in neighbouring countries, including Iraq, Lebanon and Syria;

H. whereas in November 2023, the Iran-backed Houthi militia in Yemen began a series of attacks targeting the south of Israel and commercial ships in the Red Sea;

I. whereas a pro-Iranian militia in Iraq claimed responsibility for the strikes on 1 April 2024 against an Israeli navy base in Eilat;

J. whereas the dynamics in the region are highly complex and fast-evolving, and all de-escalation efforts will need to be coordinated and reinforced through cooperation with key regional players, including the Gulf countries, as well as international partners;

K. whereas various international stakeholders, including the US, have reportedly urged the Israeli Government to demonstrate restraint and prevent further escalation of the conflict;

L. whereas despite support among part of the Iranian population being displayed by state media, the attacks by the Iranian regime have been heavily criticised by many Iranians inside and outside the country; whereas measures were allegedly taken to suppress dissenting voices from expressing criticism following the attack; whereas the Iranian regime does not legitimately represent the people of Iran;

1. Calls on all actors to increase efforts to de-escalate the current situation and prevent further destabilisation in the region;

2. Condemns in the strongest possible terms the unprecedented attack by Iran against Israel on 13 and 14 April 2024, which violated and threatened the sovereignty, security and integrity of Israel; considers this attack as a violation of international law, in particular of Article 2(4) of the UN Charter, which prohibits the use of force against other states; underlines that Iran did not have an inherent right of self-defence under international law;

3. Condemns the attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus on 1 April 2024, which resulted in several casualties and constitutes, according to UN special procedures experts, a violation of international law; underlines the need to respect the principles of the UN Charter and the principle of the inviolability of diplomatic and consular premises and personnel, in line with the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations;

4. Is highly concerned by the spiralling escalation in the region and the destabilising role that the autocratic and oppressive Iranian regime and its network of violent non-state actors play in the broader Middle East region; is alarmed by the severe risk of a widening regional escalation in the Middle East; condemns all acts by state and non-state actors that provoke or feed an intensifying escalatory cycle; urges all parties to de-escalate and to refrain from the threat or use of force in line with their international obligations, in particular under Article 2(4) of the UN Charter, and to exercise the utmost restraint; urges all actors to fully respect and uphold international law and international humanitarian law at all times;

5. Calls on the VP/HR and the Member States to continue and step up their diplomatic efforts with international partners, including with the Gulf countries, building on recent initiatives and in particular on the first EU-Gulf Cooperation Council High-Level Forum at ministerial level held on 22 April 2024, and to encourage urgent de-escalation and meaningful dialogue, also at multilateral level and in their dialogue with the US authorities;

6. Encourages the countries of the region to advance thinking on regional security infrastructure and preparedness for attacks by the Iranian regime in the future but also on broader security arrangements that address various security concerns, including the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and delivery systems; calls on the US and the EU for assistance and support in this regard; welcomes, in this regard, past UN and EU calls for regional security arrangements aimed at reducing security threats such as WMD;

7. Reiterates the urgent need to achieve an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and the unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas, as well as to ensure full humanitarian access to Gaza and full compliance with ICJ orders; considers these efforts necessary as part of a larger effort towards de-escalation in the region; calls for the EU and the Member States to intensify their efforts in this regard and to use all leverage to that end; urges the VP/HR to finalise his assessment on Israel’s compliance with the human rights clause under the EU-Israel Association Agreement as soon as possible;

8. Reiterates its unwavering support for a lasting peaceful two-state solution on the basis of the 1967 borders and in accordance with international law; is convinced that a ceasefire in Gaza and, more generally, putting an end to the Israel-Palestine conflict, will bring more stability to the region;

9. Welcomes the European Council conclusions of 17 and 18 April 2024, which state that the EU will take further restrictive measures against Iran, notably in relation to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and missiles; urges the Council to adopt restrictive measures without further delay to target the production and transfer of UAVs; calls on the Council to expand the regional scope of the current sanctions regime framework against Iran in order to prevent arms supplies not only to Russia but also to Iran’s allies in the Middle East; calls on the Council and the EEAS to put in place robust mechanisms to ensure the effective implementation and enforcement of the sanctions imposed against Iran and to prevent their circumvention, including by cooperating with international partners;

10. Reiterates its calls on the VP/HR and the Council to add the IRGC to the list of terror organisations;

11. Underlines that the grave regional security situation should not divert attention from the catastrophic human rights and humanitarian situation in Gaza caused by the disproportionate Israeli response to the Hamas terror attacks, including the increase in attacks by settlers in the West Bank, as well as the extremely dire human rights situation in Iran, where systematic and widespread human rights abuses persist, as the regime has often used moments such as these in the past to further increase repression; notes with grave concern, in this regard, the recent escalation in the use of the death penalty in Iran, evidenced by the execution of eight individuals for drug-related offences just in the past week; calls, therefore, for an immediate cessation of the death penalty in Iran; points out with concern that credible reports suggest that Iranian security authorities have intensified the monitoring and enforcement of repressive laws, including the mandatory wearing of the hijab, amid the escalating tensions with Israel;

12. Urges the Iranian regime to immediately and unconditionally release all political prisoners and all arbitrarily detained foreign and dual citizens, including EU nationals such as Johan Floderus, Jamshid Sharmahd, Ahmadreza Djalali and Nahid Taghavi;

13. Expresses its full and unwavering support for and solidarity with civil society and the democratic forces in Iran; calls on the EEAS, the Commission and the Member States to increase support for human rights defenders in Iran who need to leave the country, including through rapid access to visas and asylum, as well as emergency grants; calls on the EEAS and the Member States to provide technical and capacity support to those helping Iranian civil society, while ensuring Iranian ownership of these activities;

14. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the President of the European Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the Knesset and the Government of Israel, the Islamic Consultative Assembly, the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Office of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran.