Foreign minister on Iran: 'Military force should always remain a last resort'
Belgian Foreign minister Maxime Prévot responded with nuance to the attacks carried out by Israel and the United States on Iran on Saturday. "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," he said in a post on X.
The US and Iran carried out a series of strikes on Iran on Saturday morning. They came amid diplomatic efforts between American and Iranian officials to agree a deal that would halt Iran’s nuclear programme and avert war. Negotiations were expected to continue next week.
"We deeply regret that diplomatic efforts could not lead earlier to a negotiated solution," Prévot said. "Belgium has always condemned this regime: its systematic human rights violations, its threat to regional and global security, its refusal to engage constructively."
A crisis meeting has taken place and meetings are due to follow throughout the day. “Our thoughts are with the Iranian people," he added. "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.”
The Foreign ministry has warned Belgians in the region to avoid large gatherings and follow the instructions of local authorities. They are also asked to register on the Travellers Online portal.
Image grab from Iranian state television shows what it says is the site of deadly US and Israeli strikes that hit a girls' elementary school in Minab, 28 February 2026 © PHOTO IRIB TV / AFP