Her warning came after Donald Trump openly suggested his
country, a staunch backer of Israel, might take a hands-on approach to end the
hostilities.
"We're not involved in it. It's possible we could get
involved. But we are not at this moment involved," Trump told ABC News on
Sunday. He later said the US would be "gloves off" if Iran were to
"touch our troops".
"When it comes to the United States getting involved,
then it will definitely drag the region into broader conflict. And this is in
nobody's interest," Kallas said in Brussels after hosting a video
conference with the EU's 27 foreign affairs ministers.
"And from my call with Secretary of State Rubio, he emphasized
that it's also not in their interest to be drawn into this conflict," she
added, referring to the conversation she had on Monday with her US counterpart.
"We are constantly pushing to stop this war because the
risks of escalation and the risks of spillover effect are too great. Also, the
risks of miscalculation, which is making this conflict even bigger."
Kallas
also weighed in on Trump's stated goal of wanting a "real end" to the
conflict that would see Iran giving up its nuclear program "entirely".
The comments appeared to be at odds with the EU's long-held position of
preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons while permitting civilian uses.
The 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also
known as the Iran nuclear deal, was designed to curtail the country's nuclear
program and keep it exclusively peaceful in exchange for sanctions relief. But
after Trump disavowed the deal in his first mandate, Iran began enriching
uranium to levels that seemed to exceed any civilian purposes, causing
worldwide alarm and condemnation.
Last
week, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) found Iran was not
complying with its non-proliferation obligations for the first time in 20
years.
"A diplomatic solution is the best way to address
Iran's program in the long run, and Europe stands ready to play its part,"
Kallas said. "We cannot be lenient when Iran accelerates its nuclear
program."
Following the video call with foreign affairs ministers,
Kallas doubled down on her previous calls for maximum restraint and immediate
de-escalation, without adding any new element that could expand the bloc's
limited role in the Israel-Iran conflict.
The most concrete development was the activation of the EU's
Civil Protection Mechanism, which is used to coordinate emergency assistance for
natural disasters, such as wildfires and floods, and man-made crises, like
wars.
"We have activated the Civil Protection Mechanism, and
we are assisting member states to evacuate their citizens that wish to
leave," Kallas said, noting that not all EU countries had the necessary
planes to carry out the evacuations.
"In parallel, we stand ready to deploy civil protection
experts, and our naval operation ASPIDES (in the Red Sea) continues to protect
merchant ships from Houthi attacks while providing valuable situational
awareness."
Kallas said the EU would not "let our focus on Gaza slip" and urged
"immediate" and "full" access to humanitarian aid, which
Israel has heavily restricted.
She refrained from providing details of the ongoing review
of the EU-Israel Association Agreement and how the strikes against Iran might
influence the discussions.
Kallas also struck down Russia's suggestion of playing the
role of moderator in the Israel-Iran conflict, arguing the invasion of Ukraine
was a disqualifying factor.
"Russia cannot be a mediator if they don't really
believe in peace," she said.
