Dutch leaders urge de-escalation after U.S. airstrikes on Iran

The Dutch National Security Council convened around noon Sunday to discuss the U.S. strike on Iran, outgoing Prime Minister Dick Schoof announced on X. Schoof called developments in the Middle East “worrying” and said the Dutch government is “closely monitoring the situation.”

He did not pass judgment on the U.S. airstrikes but reiterated the Dutch stance on nuclear weapons: “Regarding the nuclear program, the Netherlands has always been clear — Iran must not acquire a nuclear weapon.”

“I call on all parties to prevent further escalation,” Schoof added. “Negotiations are ultimately the only path toward a lasting solution.”

Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans confirmed Sunday that while the Netherlands had not been formally informed, the strikes did not come as a surprise. Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp called the attack “a further escalation of a troubling situation in the Middle East.”

Brekelmans, appearing on the television program WNL op Zondag, said the Cabinet would decide on its position later in the day. “I hope the Iranian regime responds to President Trump’s call to return to the negotiating table,” he added.

Meanwhile, opposition parties in the Tweede Kamer condemned the U.S. assault, warning it could trigger a wider war. Stephan van Baarle, leader of DENK, condemned the airstrikes in strong terms. “With the bombings on Iran, Trump makes himself complicit in the illegal war of criminal Netanyahu,” Van Baarle wrote. “These two dangerous lunatics must be stopped before they cause more victims.” He called on the Dutch government to explicitly denounce the attack and requested a debate in the Tweede Kamer.

Frans Timmermans, leader of GroenLinks-PvdA, described the attack as “a reckless action that could lead to further escalation of war violence in the wider region.” On X, he said, “De-escalation is urgently needed and a return to the diplomatic track. The Netherlands and the European Union must commit to that without delay.”

“Trump was supposed to be the president of peace. Now he’s starting an extra war in the middle of the night,” D66 Tweede Kamer member Jan Paternotte wrote. “Netanyahu has managed to drag Trump into a reckless adventure.” He added that Trump “has not provided a single piece of evidence” that Iran is building a nuclear weapon.

The U.S. launched the strikes in the early hours of Sunday, targeting alleged nuclear sites including the fortified underground Fordo facility.