We Are Standing on the Edge of the Abyss, Borel

The EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, has called for a de-escalation of tensions between Israel and Iran following an attack on the Jewish state by the Islamic Republic during an interview with Spanish radio station Onda Cero. This was reported by Reuters.

Borrell stated that he expects Israel to respond to Iran's unprecedented airstrike but hopes it will not lead to further escalation. “We are standing on the edge of the abyss and we need to step back from there. We need to hit the brakes and engage in reverse,” he said.

The Spanish diplomat noted that there is a “deep divide” within Israel's right-wing governing coalition between hardline proponents who want retribution and a “more moderate and reasonable” faction. The latter group, according to him, supports a form of restitution “but in a way that avoids revenge.”

Borrell, who spoke late Sunday with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, asserted that the EU should work toward better relations with Iran despite the sanctions imposed by Brussels concerning the Islamic Republic's nuclear energy program and other issues. He remarked, “It is in everyone’s interest that Iran does not become a nuclear state and that there is peace in the Middle East.”