Metsola is expected to return to Brussels tomorrow, according to her office, which told POLITICO: “We are monitoring the situation and remain in close contact with national authorities.” Metsola had been in Abu Dhabi for discussions with lawmakers from the Gulf Cooperation Council and the United Arab Emirates. However, her planned departure on Tuesday was uncertain due to airspace closures over the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, and other regional countries following reports of Iran responding to U.S. weekend attacks on its nuclear sites.
On Monday, Iran launched missiles at American military bases in Qatar and Iraq, as reported by CNN, citing U.S. officials. French President Emmanuel Macron showed “solidarity with Qatar, which has been struck by Iran on its soil,” in a Monday night social media post. He urged all parties to “exercise the utmost restraint, de-escalate, and return to the negotiating table. This spiral of chaos must end.”
Metsola’s visit was arranged prior to the recent Israeli and American actions against Iran. “In today’s evolving security landscape, we face common challenges that call for deeper collaboration,” she stated on social media during her address to the Gulf Cooperation Council.
She is also set to meet with billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates on Tuesday afternoon in Brussels—if she manages to return in time.
The story has been updated to reflect the evolving security situation in the region.
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