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Iran-Krieg: EU nur Zuschauerin oder diplomatische Akteurin? Debatte bei „The Ring“
Im zweiten Kriegswochenende von USA und Israel gegen Iran fürchtet die EU Energieschocks und Rezession – und fragt sich, wie lange sie noch abseitsstehen kann.
LESEN SIE MEHR : http://de.euronews.com/2026/03/13/iran-krieg-eu-nur-zuschauerin-oder-diplomatische-akteurin-debatte-bei-the-ring
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Im zweiten Kriegswochenende von USA und Israel gegen Iran fürchtet die EU Energieschocks und Rezession – und fragt sich, wie lange sie noch abseitsstehen kann.
LESEN SIE MEHR : http://de.euronews.com/2026/03/13/iran-krieg-eu-nur-zuschauerin-oder-diplomatische-akteurin-debatte-bei-the-ring
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NewsTranskript
00:11Untertitelung des ZDF für funk, 2017
00:42As the war in Iran enters its second week, the shockwaves are reaching Europe.
00:47The conflict is raising urgent questions about the EU's energy supply, security and role on the global stage.
00:54The first impact is visible on energy markets. Oil prices surged over $100 a barrel for the first time in
01:01four years.
01:03For Europe's export-driven economies, a prolonged conflict could translate into slower growth and renewed financial volatility.
01:11The crisis is also testing Brussels' relationship with the Trump administration.
01:16Will European governments align more closely with Washington?
01:20Meanwhile, security concerns for Europe's southeastern region are mounting.
01:25Several EU nations have sent warships to bolster the defences of Cyprus, an EU island nation which has already been
01:31caught in the crossfire.
01:33Where does Europe stand in this crisis?
01:36Will it remain largely defensive, managing the fallout of a conflict it cannot control?
01:41Or attempt a more offensive role?
01:49Just some of the questions we have for our contenders today. Let's meet them.
01:56Antonio López Isturiz, a Spanish MEP from the Central Right European People's Party.
02:02A lawyer by training, he has been an MEP since 2004 and he sits on the Committee on Foreign Affairs
02:08at the European Parliament.
02:09Commenting on international security challenges, he has stressed the importance of strengthening cooperation among democratic partners.
02:15In the context of the escalation in the Middle East, he said,
02:19Given Iran's support for terrorism, its nuclear ambitions and its regional aggression, the West cannot remain passive.
02:26Daniel Attard, a Maltese MEP from the Socialists and Democrats Group.
02:31A lawyer by training, he was elected to the European Parliament in 2024, where he is vice chair of the
02:36delegation for relations with Iran.
02:38Commenting on the war in Iran, he said,
02:40There are serious legal questions about this military operation, but we must not lose sight of where the root causes
02:46of this crisis lie.
02:47The Iranian regime has for decades destabilized the region, sponsored militias and repressed its own people.
02:53I would advocate for hard diplomacy.
02:55Europe should lead talks toward de-escalation.
02:58Diplomacy should always prevail.
03:03MEPs Antonio Lopetisturiz and Daniel Attard, welcome to The Ring.
03:09So, the idea here is to give our viewers at home a little taste of the debates that happen here
03:14in the European Parliament,
03:16so I'm sure you both will feel just at home.
03:18Let's get started.
03:19I will start with you, Antonio.
03:21We're in the second week of this war.
03:23There's really no signs of this abating right now.
03:25Are you any clearer now on what the end goals of both the U.S. and Israel are here?
03:32Well, I don't think that we don't have the information, none of us.
03:36Not even people at charge here in the European Union about what's going on.
03:40Should be another way.
03:42I think that also the European Union is losing a little bit, let's say, the initiative to be there, you
03:48know, in order to also help our motto nowadays.
03:54And the European flag represents precisely principles, values.
03:59And that's what we have to work with, and we have to collaborate.
04:03But we are not really in the decision-making at the world-wide situation, at the geopolitical situation today.
04:11Okay.
04:11You mentioned those European values.
04:13I think the EU is also built on this concept of international law and respect for the rules.
04:19You've said, Daniel, that, you know, this initial strike from the U.S. and Israel that triggered the war was
04:24not in line with international law.
04:26So is it right now that the EU, as Antonio says, does more to support the U.S. and Israel
04:30in this war?
04:31The EU should stand up for its values, as my colleague has said.
04:37Our mission is clear, in my opinion.
04:39We should, first of all, push for the escalation, build a path towards a return to diplomacy, protect our citizens
04:46and our interests in the region.
04:49And we should also stand firm with the long struggle of the Iranian people for freedom and dignity.
04:54Because, as I said, there are serious questions on the legality of this military operation, but we should not lose
05:04sight of the historical context of the Iranian regime,
05:07how the crisis unfolded over the past decades, not just over the past 15 days.
05:12Okay, but let me put this to you.
05:13Is the war so far doing anything to help the Iranian people?
05:17The Iranian regime has been, for years, building up its nuclear capacity.
05:22Its movements to become military-grade uranium also has been sponsoring terrorist attacks all over the world for years.
05:33I think it's also about a time that Iran and the regime learns about also principles and values.
05:38And sometimes, sometimes we have to be strict on this.
05:42But we've seen the supreme leader being replaced by his son.
05:46So, if it is regime change that the U.S. and Israel are pursuing, it doesn't seem that that's working
05:52so far.
05:52Do you think it's right to pursue regime change from the skies?
05:54I think it should be a joke to say that we have a regime change when the son takes from
05:58the father.
06:00Let's say a sad joke, because these people have killed thousands, specifically also women, that were fighting for the freedoms
06:07in Iran.
06:08We cannot escape that reality.
06:11So, also, we have to fight for our principles and values, fighting this kind of regimes.
06:16And for them to change and also to have, and I agree with Daniel, that we give the Iranian people
06:23the opportunity also to take the future for themselves, for a democratic future in Iran.
06:28I am sure that we, him and I, and many in this parliament, we agree.
06:32There was a resolution two weeks ago about Iran, only nine votes against from the extreme right.
06:37The rest of the parliament was absolutely agreeing.
06:40I had the pleasure, the honor of being the chief negotiator of this resolution, and that was the image of
06:45this parliament united for that purpose.
06:47So, there's consensus on that, on the brutality of the Iranian regime and the need for the EU to support
06:53the pro-democracy, pro-freedom movement.
06:55But a socialist voice in Europe, Pedro Sánchez, the prime minister of Spain, has also been very firm in calling
07:02for restraint and this message of no to war.
07:06Do you stand with his message?
07:08Pedro Sánchez spoke for the upholding of international law, and I believe in this house we all stand for international
07:16law, international order, and multilateralism.
07:19What do you make, both of you, of the response from the EU institutions?
07:25Who speaks on behalf of the EU when it comes to this conflict? Maybe you can start here.
07:30Listen, the European Parliament has been clear and consistent.
07:34We have been calling for the designation of the IRGC as a terrorist organization for at least three years.
07:42Three years repeating our call for this designation, and it took the council three years to align with the parliament's
07:48position.
07:48So, this institution where we stand today has been clear and vocal, but we lack the unanimity as a European
07:57Union.
07:57Yes, but if I may, there is an all-out war happening affecting Europe, shockwaves in terms of energy prices,
08:04economic fallout, and so on.
08:05Now that there is a war happening, who speaks for Europe? Do you think that it should be von der
08:11Leyen, for example?
08:12No, clearly it's not Pedro Sánchez.
08:13Let me point that because he is now in the, let's say, pre-electoral process in Spain.
08:18And it's not good to mix things and to give rhetorics, like the no-true war.
08:23I mean, we don't want wars. No one wants.
08:26But to use it, you know, for internal purposes, now more than ever, we have to be united.
08:32There has not to be any discordant voices.
08:35We have to, and maybe, maybe, what Pedro Sánchez should do is come to the council, agree with, you know,
08:41the prime ministers, even from Malta, from Germany, everybody, and we have a common position.
08:46That's how things are done in this European Union, and at least he should respect that.
08:50Can you give him credit for at least being very firm, in the sense that other EU leaders seem to
08:55be treading this very fine line between condemning the Iranian regime, supporting some kind of change in the regime and
09:03the toppling of the regime, but yet not really standing very clear on what it makes of this US-Israeli
09:08intervention?
09:08Isn't treading this fine line in the middle, making the EU irrelevant here?
09:14No. Now, more than ever, we need that single voice.
09:17We don't need voices spread around in this European Union, because that's what everybody is asking from us.
09:24If we want to be really an actor on the ground in many areas where, again, the European Union, with
09:30its principles and values, can contribute also to alleviate the effects of what's going on.
09:36And on that, because we are seeing big impacts in terms of oil prices already,
09:40shouldn't the EU be doing more to be more proactive here, to anticipate the possible impact on European citizens?
09:48We have been saying this from across the chamber for weeks, months, and also years.
09:54We have to build our strategic autonomy, be it economically, be it in terms of energy, be it in terms
09:58of security.
09:59Strategic autonomy does not mean that we are being hostile to the US, but it will actually strengthen the strategic
10:07partnership.
10:08But strategic partnership does not have to mean strategic dependence.
10:11So, yes, to answer your question, we have to do more to be more autonomous, to be able to shape
10:17future events,
10:17rather than simply react to them, as we have been doing, not just in this crisis,
10:21but also when it comes to the war in Ukraine and other conflicts around the world.
10:27But does that mean drastically reducing the reliance on the US when it comes to Europe's defense?
10:34As I said, building our strategic autonomy does not mean weakening our strategic partnerships.
10:40Maybe a final response to that?
10:43Strategic autonomy means inside the systems where we are, the structures where we are, NATO, United Nations,
10:51that we have Europeans together, we have a single voice, again, not dispersed voices on electoral purposes,
11:00but a single voice in these structures, that we react as, and also, we are working with our allies.
11:09Who are our allies? Democratic countries.
11:12That might be perfect or imperfect, maybe they have not elected the president we wanted, or yes, but they are
11:18democracies.
11:19And we have to be patient, like they are also with us sometimes, I have to say.
11:23Let me stop you there. I see we're getting warmed up here in the debate, but it's now time to
11:27move on to the second round.
11:34It's time for our contenders to directly challenge each other.
11:37They've come here today armed with their own questions for their opponents.
11:42So let's hear them. And let me start with you, Daniel, your first question to Antonio.
11:47So, Antonio, we have been talking about strategic autonomy, but does that mean that we have to align with decisions
11:54taken by others
11:56across the region, across the Transatlantic?
11:59Not to follow, and I think, I'm sure that we should agree, not to follow, but to be in the
12:04decision-making,
12:05and also contributing with our European values in that decision-making.
12:10Maybe we could do a difference.
12:13My, maybe, autocritic is that maybe the Europeans, we are not soon enough in places where decisions are taken.
12:20These are the opportunities that we cannot miss.
12:23Antonio, your first question to Daniel.
12:26Again, our allies. I talked about our allies. Daniel, what do you think?
12:31I mean, should we stay, you know, also with them? They are democratic countries.
12:36Should we go in another way? What's your view on this?
12:41You're talking about the Gulf countries and the US, I'm assuming.
12:43Yes, of course. And Israel, by the way, also.
12:45And Israel.
12:46As I said, we should, first of all, invest in our strategic autonomy so that we are able, as a
12:51European Union,
12:52to speak with one voice and to shape events rather than simply react to them as we have been doing.
12:57But we should also, yes, work with our allies closely.
13:01Let's speak about the Transatlantic allegiance, the elephant in the room.
13:05The EU and the US share decades of strategic partnership, and I believe that that strategic partnership will outlast any
13:13single crisis.
13:15I believe that beyond political rhetoric, that strategic alliance will outlast this war.
13:21And we can build on that, building on that while also building our own strategic autonomy.
13:27As a product of a transatlantic relation that I am, my mother is American, I have to say, I agree
13:32absolutely.
13:33Good, very good. Daniel, your second question to Antonio.
13:36So, my question is this. Would you think, speaking of the Iranian people, we said that they now have the
13:42hope for freedom and for dignity,
13:45something which they long have been fighting for.
13:48But do you think that their future can be decided by foreign powers or by missiles dropping in their country?
13:55No. And we said it before, you and me. I think that we agree.
13:59By the way, you are an expert. You are in the Iranian delegation here in the European Parliament,
14:04and I have been passionately involved in the fight against this regime.
14:08By the way, I'm in the black list of the regime.
14:10To tell you that, you know, we have to join efforts in order to tackle with this regime,
14:17that we have to be prudent also in the way that the Iranian people feel our support,
14:25and they feel it in a way that they can race against this regime.
14:29They have done it before. Remember, just this Christmas, there were 6,000 people killed in the streets of Iran.
14:35Because of that, we need to be to them, and we have to give them the clear messages of our
14:40support.
14:41But very briefly, if I may, just to push further on that question,
14:45Do you think that this war is actually helping and sending that signal from the West,
14:51the signal that you've just spoken about to the Iranian people?
14:54I think that the willing also to change the regime in Iran is maybe, maybe,
14:58giving this, you know, support, this help to the European, to the Iranian people.
15:06It's soon to know. We don't know what's going on in the streets.
15:09There is an internet blackout. There is no communication.
15:12We don't know, Daniel, me, and anyone here, what's going on in the streets of Tehran, on Isfahan.
15:17Okay.
15:17You know, but we wish and we want the Iranian people to feel our support,
15:22not only for resolutions, but also with action.
15:25Okay, we have time for a very last question from you, Antonio, to Daniel.
15:29Yes.
15:32Sanctions, Daniel.
15:33Because I just heard the president of the socialist group, Irache Garcia,
15:37talking about, you know, that we need more sanctions to asphyxiate the regime.
15:45Do you think that we have done enough or not in the European Union?
15:48I mean, this is a question that we all members have in the different groups.
15:51I think that the parliament has done its job.
15:53It has been consistent, but we definitely have to do more.
15:55We have to, we need hard diplomacy.
15:58We need to increase the pressure on the regime.
16:00We still have embassies operating like business as usual in the European Union.
16:04I think we should take action on that.
16:06And also, obviously, we need the council to be more fast.
16:08Because as we have seen, political hesitation carries consequences.
16:13Okay.
16:13Thank you both for your own questions there.
16:16But it's time now to bring new voices into the debate.
16:24Now, earlier this week, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen
16:28delivered a speech pitching a new way forward for the EU
16:32in the way it does foreign policy.
16:35Let's listen to what she had to say
16:37and also the reaction from her own vice president, Teresa Rivera.
16:40Europe can no longer be a custodian of the old world order.
16:46For a world that has gone and will not return.
16:49We will always defend and uphold the rules-based system
16:53that we helped to build with our allies.
16:56But we can no longer rely on it as the only way to defend our interests.
17:02It is fair to say that maybe it was not the most adequate manner to express herself.
17:11But, yes, she is fully committed, of course, to the international order.
17:16But, to me, it is key to defend, to stress, to underline
17:22that the international law is a key element of building the European project
17:27and the European security.
17:28The large majority of countries around the world think that this is the best thing we have done
17:34since the end of World War II.
17:36But it is absolutely key for Europe.
17:39Antonio, is von der Leyen right?
17:42Does the EU need to change the way it does foreign policy in this new world?
17:45It is sad, no, to see the vice president of the commission
17:46receiving phone calls from the prime minister of Spain
17:49and introducing his agenda.
17:52I don't think that, you know, in the declarations of Ursula,
17:55I don't see the agenda of anyone except the European one.
17:58When she said we cannot set a tear for the regime,
18:02I think that we can all agree, you know, with this approach.
18:06Well, we do have a socialist here on set.
18:08You belong to the same political family as Ribeira, of course,
18:12and the prime minister Pedro Sánchez.
18:13What do you make of that?
18:15I think that beyond the political rhetoric with the upcoming election in Spain,
18:22what Pedro has said is he stood up for international law,
18:26for what we stand for in this house.
18:28But it also shows the beauty of this house,
18:30that we can have different opinions, but we can also agree on the basics.
18:34And to be clear, international crises rarely offer simple answers,
18:41but complexity does not have to mean moral blindness.
18:45Okay, but what the lion is saying that, you know,
18:48continuing with the same agenda is naive
18:50because the world around us is changing.
18:53Do you agree with her in that,
18:55in that, you know, there needs to be more pragmatic interest-based approach
19:00to the use of foreign policy?
19:01I'm all for a pragmatic-based approach,
19:05but we have to be able also to speak with one voice
19:08when it comes to what we stand for, our values,
19:10the rule of law, international order.
19:12And we must also be able to condemn the killing of innocents,
19:16like the children, the schoolchildren,
19:18which were killed in the same period in the United States.
19:20But what's the timing of her speech, right, would you say?
19:21The speech of von der Leyen.
19:23Of von der Leyen, when she casts a little bit of a doubt
19:26on the strength of the EU's kind of commitments to the rules-based order.
19:30She said that you can no longer be a custodian of that rules-based order.
19:34I wouldn't subscribe to that.
19:35I think that as a European Union,
19:37we should be strong in standing up for our values
19:41because that is the core foundation of why this union was founded
19:45after the Second World War.
19:46Okay, let me stop you there because it's time for us
19:48to take a short break here on The Ring,
19:50but stay with us.
19:51We'll be back very soon.
20:01Welcome back to The Ring,
20:04Euronews' new weekly debate show.
20:06I'm joined by MEPs Daniel Attard and Antonio López-Estudy
20:10to discuss the US and Israel's war with Iran
20:14and the ripple effects felt in Europe.
20:17The conflict has, of course,
20:19caused the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
20:23Let's take a look at why that matters for Europe.
20:26As you can see there,
20:28around 20% of the world's oil passes through the Strait.
20:33Major exporters of energy include Saudi Arabia,
20:37the United Arab Emirates, Iraq and Iran.
20:40And why does this matter for Europe?
20:42Well, about 13% of EU oil imports are transited through Hormuz.
20:48And, of course, this is why there is growing concern here in Europe
20:52about the potential impact on prices and on consumers' pockets.
20:57I should also note that the US is now saying
20:59it has eliminated Iranian mine-laying ships in the Strait.
21:04Also, the International Energy Agency is proposing the largest ever oil release
21:09from strategic reserves.
21:11The situation is obviously evolving quickly.
21:14Do we need to see a more proactive response from the EU here
21:17because we could see a big impact on European consumers?
21:20I think what this tells you is that the Iranian regime is at its weakest.
21:25Why?
21:26Because while 13%, as you quoted, of the EU's imports come from that Strait,
21:31but 100% of Iranians' exports pass through that Strait.
21:35So this is a suicidal decision by the Iranian regime,
21:38which is in dire straits and which is at its weakest.
21:41And by appointing another Khamenei to the role of Supreme,
21:47it tells you all you need to know about this regime.
21:49The time of this regime is up.
21:51I've said it before and I say it again.
21:52Your response?
21:53For once, Macron is right when he sent a aircraft carrier to Cyprus
21:59and he's taking the fragates
22:02and also talking about the European defense of the Strait of Ormuz.
22:07It's not only about oil and gas.
22:09It's also our allies in the region.
22:12Gulf countries like the United Emirates.
22:14There are full thousands of European citizens working every day there.
22:19It's also a hub for millions of Europeans that they fly to other continents.
22:24It is a very attractive place and they have done it
22:26and they have approached us during these latest years.
22:30So we need to be by them.
22:32They are suffering the indiscriminate attacks from the regime.
22:35I think that the Europeans, we have to be very clear on that.
22:38And very briefly, EU leaders will be gathering in Brussels next week.
22:41Is there anything they should be doing now to prepare for a potential further spike in prices
22:46and the impact on the European economy?
22:48Yes.
22:49We should be, as Macron has stated, and also Ursula.
22:54And I don't want to advance because I don't want to give a different opinion.
22:57I rely on all of them united.
23:00But my ask is that Europe is there, present for our allies in the region, in the Gulf, to protect
23:08them.
23:09Not, again, not only the oil and gas.
23:11So it's about sending frigates to the region to patrol, to protect commercial vessels.
23:15The Strait of Ormuz, it's worldwide.
23:17It's not only Europe.
23:18It's worldwide stability.
23:20And that's what we have to be there for.
23:22The U.S. is already doing this as well.
23:24We keep hearing, though, that this is not like 2022.
23:27This is not the crisis that we saw back then, the energy crisis when Russia invaded Ukraine.
23:33Do you think it's naive to say that you need to be more kind of proactive here, for example,
23:37in anticipating the possible impact on electricity prices?
23:41As I was saying from the start of this debate, we must be more strategically autonomous,
23:45not to react to future crises, but to be able to shape them.
23:49What does that mean?
23:49Does it mean more nuclear?
23:51Does it mean more green energy?
23:52What I wanted to say is that very well connected.
23:56Ukraine, what's going on in the Middle East, these are warning calls, wake-up calls for us Europeans,
24:02that we are surrounded by regimes, that they don't like our way of living, our democracy.
24:07And now, Europeans, we are understanding that we have to do something about it.
24:13Of course, the question of energy is crucial.
24:16Europe is dependent on energy.
24:17We do not produce energy by ourselves enough for our powerful industry, for our jobs, also for our social structure.
24:27Yeah, but not enough.
24:28Unfortunately, not enough yet to sustain our system.
24:33So we have to do something about it.
24:35Do you support what Wanderleijn said earlier this week about more nuclear energy, going back to that?
24:39Well, I just discovered, you know, as you know, and all of us, that, you know, now it's a green
24:43energy, by the way.
24:44Yeah, recognized by the European institutions and by the European Parliament, so good for that.
24:49Very briefly, just to close, do you think this should really propel efforts to invest more in either nuclear or
24:56green energies?
24:57100%.
24:58We should diversify to ensure that we are independent as much as possible.
25:03Okay.
25:04Now it's time to move on to our fifth and final round today.
25:12In our very last round of debate, I will ask you a set of very short questions, and I do
25:18require a very short answer, yes or no.
25:21Referendum.
25:22Yes or no, if possible.
25:24Let's start here with you, Daniel.
25:27Do you support the US and Israel's war on Iran?
25:32International complexities do not offer simple answers.
25:36No, yes or no, then.
25:36There are serious questions about the military operation, but it has brought us the closest to bring about a change
25:43in the regime.
25:43Okay.
25:44Do you support the war, yes or no?
25:45If there are, you know, ways to take out this regime in Iran, you know, that we are many, we
25:51have prayed for that for many years, good.
25:53Is that the way?
25:55I don't know.
25:55We'll see now.
25:56Let's see if we get shorter on the second one.
25:58Do you believe the war can be a success for the West?
26:03You are making our life harder to answer yes or no.
26:05I can see.
26:06It is definitely a wake-up call, and with dubious intentions, there could be good outcomes.
26:12Okay.
26:13Wars are not successful, never.
26:17And especially when they are started by someone that is building out their nuclear capacities to end us.
26:23Let me give you an easier one.
26:25Is the war a threat to European security?
26:27Yes or no?
26:28Yes.
26:29Yes.
26:30Yes.
26:31Is the war that Donald Trump, but specifically Donald Trump himself, a threat to European security?
26:38Yes or no?
26:40The transatlantic relation has been a strength, not a threat.
26:44Is Donald Trump a threat?
26:46Transatlantic relation.
26:47Whoever is the president.
26:48I have relations with Democrats, Republicans, you know, whatever it is, you know, you can like it or not, but
26:54we have to work on that.
26:56Is the EU currently too reactive and not proactive enough in its response to the war?
27:03Yes.
27:04Is the EU too reactive and not proactive enough in its response?
27:08Yes.
27:09And is the crisis, would you say, a test of Europe's geopolitical credibility?
27:15Definitely.
27:17Absolutely.
27:18Okay.
27:19And that brings this edition of The Ring to an end.
27:23Thank you so much to our guests today, MEPs Antonio Lobedisturiz and Daniel Attard.
27:28Thank you also to you at home for watching.
27:32We'll be back next week with another Head to Head.
27:34In the meantime, write to us with your suggestions at TheRing at Euronews.com and see you soon here on
27:41Euronews.
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