European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Monday that "there should be no tears shed for the Iranian regime" as the US and Israel continue military strikes on Iran, arguing that Tehran has inflicted "death and repression on its own people" and "destabilized" the wider Middle East.
Speaking at the EU Ambassadors Conference 2026 in Brussels, von der Leyen referred to the current Middle East crisis as a "regional conflict with unintended consequences" that is already affecting Europe's energy, finance, trade, and transport sectors.
"I want to be clear: There should be no tears shed for the Iranian regime that has inflicted death and imposed repression on its own people," she said, adding that thousands of Iranians worldwide have celebrated the "demise" of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and hope for a path to "a free Iran."
Tension escalated across the region on Feb. 28 when the US and Israel launched large-scale attacks on Iran that have so far killed around 1,300 people, including Khamenei.
Tehran has responded with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, as well as Gulf countries that are home to US assets. Iran also closed the Strait of Hormuz, a major transportation route for the exporters of energy resources.
Several EU member states called for respect for international law and urged de-escalation.
Von der Leyen also emphasized that Europe must recognize the reality of today's world, saying: "We will always defend and uphold the rules-based system that we helped to build with our allies, but we can no longer rely on it as the only way to defend our interests or assume its rules will shelter us from the complex threats that we face."
"Europe can no longer be a custodian for the old-world order, for a world that has gone and will not return," she added.
She noted that the EU must be prepared to protect its interests with all available tools, including economic, diplomatic, technological, and military cooperation with trusted partners.
Von der Leyen suggested building "a more realistic and interest-driven foreign policy," and to "make ourselves more resilient, more sovereign, and more powerful."
"I believe that we need to be much more assertive in pursuing our interests," she stressed.
