Critics of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are casting her reaction to the US-Israeli war in Iran as the latest example of a foreign policy "power grab" – even as the commission’s formal diplomatic powers are limited and member states themselves are still grappling with how to respond.
When the war began with US strikes on Iran last Saturday, von der Leyen was the first leader across Europe to issue a reaction, calling the developments in Iran “greatly concerning”.
