Within two days, the truth became clear: The sensational diplomatic effort launched by Europe in Geneva on Friday yielded no results. On April 22, Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA) reported that the U.S. President had deceived them. On Saturday evening, the U.S. intervened in the war between Israel and Iran: American forces bombed three of Iran's nuclear facilities. Iran's critical uranium enrichment facility was "completely destroyed."

What does the U.S. intervention in Israel's war mean for Germany and Europe—and their diplomatic efforts?

Trump's involvement caught Europeans off guard

Europe tried to prevent Trump from joining the war

In just four hours on Friday, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas made every effort in Geneva to try to determine whether Iran was willing to abandon its nuclear program and nuclear weapons and to prevent U.S. President Trump from joining the war against Iran.

Deutsche Presse-Agentur report

German Chancellor Merz also personally intervened in the diplomatic efforts aimed at preventing an escalation of hostilities in the region. He not only explicitly supported his foreign minister's mediation efforts in Geneva but also held telephone conversations with Turkish President Erdogan, who also claimed to be a mediator, as well as colleagues from the Gulf region.

Afterward, it became clear: talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi did not yield any concrete results. However, Europe's most important diplomats at least saw a crack in the door of diplomacy. European countries clearly stated that further negotiations with Iran would be beneficial. Wadephul expressed cautious optimism: "The positive outcome today is that when we left the venue, the impression we left behind was that the Iranian side was basically ready to continue discussing all major issues." Iran also expressed willingness to continue negotiations.

European foreign ministers remained confident after talks with the Iranian foreign minister

The diplomatic window may have closed

But just a few hours later, on Friday night, Trump made his view of Europe's diplomatic initiative clear: it was meaningless. In response to a journalist's question about whether Europe's recent negotiations with Iran were helpful, he said that Europe's mediation efforts had been ineffective. "Iran doesn't want to talk to Europe. They want to talk to us. Europe can't help," he added.

Trump had announced on Thursday that he hoped to give diplomatic efforts another two weeks before deciding whether the U.S. should participate in the war. "Two weeks is the longest time," he said while preparing for the weekend at Morristown Airport in New Jersey. Even hearing these words should make many people realize: the U.S. strike on Iran might come sooner than expected.

With the U.S. attack that night, the diplomatic window may have already closed. In fact, Trump had already hinted at this earlier when he mentioned Iran's leader Khamenei. He wrote: "We will not bring him down (kill him!), at least not now." This seemingly dismissive tone actually contained a threat that he would do so one day.

Locations of Iran's nuclear facilities

Concerns for European citizens in the region

One of the most pressing issues for Europe right now may be concerns about European citizens in Israel, Iran, and throughout the region—no one knows how strong Iran's retaliation might be.

Saturday evening, the German Foreign Ministry announced via X platform that 123 Germans had been approved to leave the region on another special flight. Previously, the German Foreign Ministry had arranged two charter flights carrying 345 people to fly from Amman to Germany. On Saturday night, two German Federal Defense Force aircraft carrying 64 German citizens returning from Israel landed at Cologne/Bonn Airport in North Rhine-Westphalia.

In addition to worrying about civilians, European governments are also concerned about the safety of German soldiers stationed alongside U.S. troops at the As-Salaleh Air Base in Jordan, in case Iran attacks bases in the region. Two weeks ago, the German Foreign Minister had planned to visit Jordan but had to change his itinerary due to the outbreak of the Israeli-Iranian war; at the time, about 180 German Federal Defense Force soldiers were stationed there. Their mission was part of the international operation to combat terrorist militia groups like ISIS and stabilize Iraq.

American B-2 stealth bomber

Europe becomes a victim of America's war again

America targeted three objectives in Iran: U.S. forces bombed nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, Iran. President Trump called it a "remarkable victory" and threatened further attacks on the Iranian regime. Trump's bombing plunged his country into a new Middle Eastern war. He had vowed "not to start new wars." This was a historic moment and a significant risk for Trump.

Müczernik, an expert on foreign policy from Germany's Social Democratic Party, believes that America's involvement shows that attempts to strengthen the international order through cooperation, control, and treaties will regress decades. For anyone hoping for peace, this is not a good day.

American military bases in the Middle East

Despite the difficulties, Europe still hopes that the U.S. and Iran can resolve disputes through diplomatic channels. Kallas called for restraint and negotiation. She explained at the "X platform" meeting that she urged all parties to take a step back and return to the negotiating table to prevent further escalation of the situation. At the same time, she emphasized that Iran must never develop nuclear weapons. EU foreign ministers plan to discuss the situation tomorrow.

On Sunday morning, after the security cabinet meeting chaired by Chancellor Merz, government spokesman Stefan Kornelius announced that they would closely coordinate with EU and American partners on the next steps that day. Merz once again urged Iran to immediately negotiate with the U.S. and Israel and seek a diplomatic solution to the conflict.

However, Iranian Foreign Minister Araqchi had already rejected further negotiations that day. He said the demand for Iran to restore diplomatic relations was "irrelevant." The U.S. only understands threats and violence. Araqchi announced that he would go to Moscow today to meet with Russian President Putin. Previously, he had accused the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of paving the way for such "aggression."

The consequences of the Israeli-Iranian war escalating

Many European observers worry that Europe may once again become a victim of America's involvement in the war. The U.S. is expected to temporarily focus on the Middle East, thus neglecting the Ukraine-Russia conflict, increasing the security risks for Europe. Meanwhile, Iran's retaliation could trigger an EU oil crisis and even supply chain disruptions. Additionally, the Middle Eastern war could lead to more refugees entering Europe.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7518755519297847818/

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