EU made 'no diplomatic effort' to end Iran war, MEP Botenga tells Euronews

Published connected 08/04/2026 - 10:54 GMT+2•Updated 10:56

In an interrogation connected Euronews' flagship programme, MEP Marc Botenga (The Left, Belgium) welcomed the two-week ceasefire agreed betwixt the US and Iran, pursuing US President Donald Trump's announcement specified hours earlier the expiration of his ultimatum to Tehran.

Yet Botenga was highly captious of the EU's effect to the crisis, telling Euronews' flagship greeting amusement Europe Today that the EU's presumption had been "horrible".

"The European Union has done nothing, nary diplomatic efforts whatsoever for a situation that not lone is violating quality rights, is violating planetary law, but was besides violating our interests," said Botenga.

The two-week ceasefire was announced by Trump connected his Truth Social level overnight connected Wednesday. Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said it has accepted the ceasefire and would negociate with the US successful Islamabad opening Friday.

"They (the EU) should person condemned the war. They should person condemned the warfare crimes," Botenga said.

The truce comes aft Trump ramped up his threats connected Tuesday, saying a "whole civilisation volition die" if determination was nary woody with Iran.

According to Botenga, the EU should person condemned the "genocidal rhetoric" utilized by Trump and failed to place the existent victims of the conflict. "They've been speaking astir Iran attacking its neighbours alternatively than Iran being a victim, truthful we've mixed this up," said Botenga.

Iran has been launching regular barrages of missiles and drones connected its neighbours since the opening of the warfare connected 28 February.

While Tehran claims it is targeting lone US and Israeli-linked assets, authoritative reports and Euronews reporters connected the crushed person shown Tehran has struck civilian targets crossed the Gulf, including hotels and vigor and water-processing facilities.

The strongest effect from an EU person to Trump's threats came from European Council President António Costa, who warned connected Monday that striking civilian infrastructure, similar vigor facilities, would beryllium "illegal and unacceptable".

Meanwhile connected Tuesday a spokesperson for the European Commission urged Trump to enactment with "maximum restraint".

In a connection connected X aft the announcement, the EU's High Representative Kaja Kallas said this ceasefire is "a measurement backmost from the brink".

The ceasefire does not see Lebanon, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed. For Botenga, Israel has been "ethnically cleansing the southbound of Lebanon".

"Why are we silent? Why are our apical officials not condemning this? Why we are not taking sanctions?" asked Botenga.

In Lebanon, Israel has been engaged successful a run against Iran-backed Hezbollah militants, who launched what they said was a retaliatory run against Israel pursuing the decease of Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei successful US-Israeli bombardment connected time 1 of the war.