International pressure is intensifying on the United States and Israel to bring an end to their ongoing war with Iran, as the conflict enters its 18th day with rising civilian casualties, economic disruption and fears of a regional humanitarian crisis.
The European Union has stepped up diplomatic efforts, consulting Middle Eastern governments to explore ways to de-escalate the conflict. European leaders have also signalled reluctance to join any US-led military initiative in the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, despite mounting pressure from Washington.
Israel has claimed that senior Iranian figures, including Ali Larijani and Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani, were killed in recent attacks. However, Iranian authorities have yet to confirm these claims.
Rising casualties and contested claims
The war continues to intensify with strikes reported across multiple Iranian cities, including Arak, where civilian casualties reportedly included a newborn and a young child. The growing toll has raised alarm among international organisations and human rights groups.
Larijani, a key figure in Iran’s political establishment and a former secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, has long been considered a pragmatic strategist within Tehran’s leadership.
Meanwhile, Iran signalled further escalation. According to the semi-official Tasnim News Agency, a senior commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced a “new phase of heavy and effective strikes” targeting US and Israeli interests across the region.
EU pushes diplomatic solution
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has called on Washington and Tel Aviv to end the war, emphasising diplomacy as the only viable path forward.
Speaking in Brussels, Kallas said the EU is actively engaging with regional actors, including Gulf countries, Jordan and Egypt, to facilitate dialogue.
“We are willing to help diplomatically to bring the parties together and stop this war,” she said, adding that Europe had not been consulted prior to the outbreak of hostilities.
Several European countries have also rejected calls by US President Donald Trump to participate in military operations aimed at securing shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz. European leaders have made it clear they are unwilling to engage in a war they did not initiate, despite concerns about implications for NATO unity.
War crimes concerns raised
The United Nations Human Rights Office has warned that certain actions in the conflict could constitute war crimes under international law.
It cited incidents involving attacks on healthcare workers and air strikes on displaced civilians. One reported strike on Beirut’s seafront killed 12 displaced people, raising serious legal and humanitarian concerns.
Israel has also renewed evacuation orders across parts of southern Lebanon, further escalating tensions along another front.
Economic shock and refugee fears
The conflict is already having far-reaching economic consequences. Oil prices have surged sharply, while shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz have affected global energy supplies and trade flows.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, more than 3.2 million people have been displaced inside Iran since late February. While cross-border refugee flows remain limited for now, neighbouring countries are bracing for a potential surge.
Strikes on major urban centres including Tehran, Shiraz and Isfahan have intensified pressure on civilians, increasing the likelihood of a broader humanitarian fallout.
High-level resignation in Washington
In a significant development, Joe Kent, head of the US National Counterterrorism Center, has resigned over the war.
In a letter addressed to President Trump, Kent said he could not support the conflict, arguing that Iran posed no imminent threat to the United States.
“I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran,” he wrote, criticising what he described as misinformation and political pressure that led to the conflict.
Kent also warned that the situation risks repeating past strategic miscalculations, drawing parallels with the Iraq War.
Region on edge
As the war continues to expand across multiple fronts, concerns are mounting that the conflict could spiral into a wider regional crisis involving more countries.
With key allies distancing themselves militarily and humanitarian risks escalating, diplomatic efforts now appear to be the only viable path to prevent further destabilisation in an already volatile region.
