Massoud Pezeshkian, a member of parliament and former president of Iran, met with Antonio Costa, President of the European Council, during his visit to New York for the United Nations General Assembly. In this meeting, Pezeshkian explicitly criticized the passivity of European countries in the face of U.S. policies and stated that the actions of Europeans in areas such as snapback and the JCPOA have removed them from the cycle of influence in international developments.
Criticism of Europe's Inaction
Pezeshkian pointed to the inaction of some European countries in the recent war, adding: "We expect European countries to reconsider their behaviors and maintain their independence. Inaction does not mean neutrality, and we witnessed inaction from some countries in this recent war." He further referred to the comments of the NATO Secretary General regarding European countries' assistance to the U.S. during the war, emphasizing that neutrality and passivity in such circumstances cannot be justified.
Regional Security is the Responsibility of Regional Countries
Pezeshkian also considered the provision of regional security to be the responsibility of regional countries and emphasized that the intervention of Western governments has affected not only regional security but also global security. He stated: "If someone is looking for the cause of recent events, they should pay attention to the behaviors of Western governments and consider how they have endangered global security." In response to Costa's request for Europe to play a role in regional issues, Pezeshkian clarified: "By aligning themselves behind the U.S., Europeans have deprived themselves of this role, and this lack of independence is detrimental to themselves as well as to global stability."
Read more: The distancing of American Republicans from Donald Trump's war with Iran · Pezeshkian: Europe has exited the cycle of influence in international developments
