Prime Minister: We reject a nuclear Iran, and Iran must return to negotiations
The Dutch interim government declined to comment on its support or rejection of the American decision to bomb nuclear facilities in Iran, but emphasized that it is "of utmost importance" that Iran does not possess nuclear weapons.
In a statement after an emergency meeting of the Dutch National Security Council on Sunday, Prime Minister Dick Schoof called on Iran to return to the negotiating table, saying: "Iran must not become a nuclear state. We observe that Israel and the United States do not accept the Iranian nuclear threat. Iran must return to negotiations immediately, as there is no way to a permanent solution except through negotiation. De-escalation is very necessary for the stability of the region."
When asked about the government's stance on the American attack, Shouf declined to comment, saying: "I will not make any statement on whether this constitutes a violation of international law." He also indicated that he expects Donald Trump to attend the NATO summit scheduled for this week in Den Haag, stating: "I assume he will attend, as I have not received any contrary signals."
For his part, interim Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans said on a television program that he was not surprised by U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to bomb Iran. He added that his government had not been officially informed, but it was aware from its sources that this could happen. He confirmed that he understands the reasons for this bombing, pointing out that the Iranian nuclear threat to Israel is significant and cannot be ignored. He added, "Israel cannot continue to carry out difficult tasks alone. In the end, agreements must be reached with Iran to stop its nuclear program."
Dutch opposition parties expressed their deep concern over the American attack. The leader of GroenLinks–PvdA, Frans Timmermans, described the attack as "reckless action" on social media. The leader of the Socialist Party, Jimmy van Dijk, considered it a "new illegal American war". MP Jan Paternot from the D66 party called on the European Union to decide to impose trade sanctions on Israel on Monday, despite the escalation with Iran, saying: "Do not let this attack overshadow the decision."
On the other hand, the VVD and NSC coalition parties announced their support for the American action. VVD party leader, Dilan Yesilgöz, stated that the Iranian nuclear program poses an "existential threat to Israel and the rest of the free world." In its editorial, NRC warned that starting a war is much easier than ending it, considering that Trump should learn from the American intervention in Iraq twenty years ago. The newspaper stated that Trump had promised during his campaign to put "America First" and reduce military interventions, but he "broke his promise on Saturday night and entangled his country in a new and dangerous conflict." The Volkskrant newspaper noted that Trump took a significant risk, pointing out that the attack was carried out without the approval of the U.S. Congress, adding: "All indications suggest that the president does not want a long war with Iran, but that is what may actually happen."