Pedro Facon

Belgium closely follows the rapidly evolving situation in Iran and the region. A first crisis meeting has taken place and further meetings will follow throughout the day. We are in close contact with our embassies. I urge all Belgians in the region to stay safe, follow the instructions of local authorities, and register on Travellers Online. We call on all parties to ensure the protection of civilian lives at all times. We deeply regret that diplomatic efforts could not lead earlier to a negotiated solution. The EU, the US and the E3 have invested years of sustained diplomatic engagement. The EU called for the IRGC to be added to its list of terrorist organisations. It’s done. The EU called for new sanctions. They were adopted. Nevertheless, despite all this pressure, the Iranian regime did not renounce its nuclear and ballistic programmes, nor its destabilising role in the region. Belgium has always condemned this regime: its systematic human rights violations, its threat to regional and global security, its refusal to engage constructively. We understand the profound security imperatives and the prolonged frustration with Iran’s refusal to engage constructively that have driven this course of action, even as we maintain that military force must always remain a last resort, subject to international law. Our thoughts are with the Iranian people. They have suffered for decades under this regime. They deserve peace, dignity, and a future free from oppression. They must not pay the price for their government’s choices. We remain in close contact with our American and European allies and partners. @BelgiumMFA