British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and European Union foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas said in statements to X on Sunday morning that Iran cannot be allowed to create nuclear weapons, while also urging de-escalation and diplomacy to end the spiraling Middle East crisis.
"Iran's nuclear program is a grave threat to international security," Starmer wrote in his statement. "Iran can never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon and the U.S. has taken action to alleviate that threat."
"The situation in the Middle East remains volatile and stability in the region is a priority," Starmer added. "We call on Iran to return to the negotiating table and reach a diplomatic solution to end this crisis."
Kallas said Iran "must not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon, as it would be a threat to international security."
"I urge all sides to step back, return to the negotiating table and prevent further escalation," she added.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, meanwhile, also said Paris "has repeatedly expressed its firm opposition to Iran gaining access to nuclear weapons," though said France reacted to news of the U.S. strikes "with concern." He added, "France was not involved in these strikes, nor in their planning."
"France is convinced that a lasting solution to this issue requires a negotiated solution within the framework of the Non-Proliferation Treaty on nuclear weapons," Barrot added.
-ABC News Dada Jovanovic and Tom Soufi Burridge