‘Please respect office hours’: EU’s von der Leyen ridiculed over response to Iran crisis

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has drawn mockery for her response to the Iran crisis after announcing that an emergency meeting on the situation can wait until after EU bureaucrats enjoy their weekend.

US-Israeli strikes on Iran began on Saturday, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, senior officials, and hundreds of civilians, including more than 100 schoolchildren in a strike on an elementary school.

Iran retaliated with hundreds of missile and drone attacks on Israel and US bases across the Gulf, including in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE.

“For regional security and stability, it is of the utmost importance that there is no further escalation through Iran’s unjustified attacks on partners in the region,” von der Leyen wrote on X late Saturday.

Public attention, however, centered on her note in the same post that she would convene a “special Security College” to discuss the situation in Iran on Monday, which led to waves of mockery on X.

“World War 3 happening live. Europeans: ‘The war starts on Monday,’” one user wrote, sharing an image of a man sipping coffee at a café. Another posted a meme reading: “Iran just got nuked. Europeans: Thanks for your email. I’m currently out of office on my annual ski trip until April 7, 2026.”

The trolling escalated; by Monday morning, the comments section swelled to over 11,000 posts.

“We should make clear that regional stability and security is not more important than protecting the weekend. Weekends must be protected. We are the EU after all,” Siqi Chen, the co-founder and CEO of Runway AI, wrote. Senior iPaper reporter Benjamin Butterworth mocked: “Dear Iranian people, would love to help, but we’re doing fondue with Agnetha tonight.”

“Nothing says urgent de-escalation like see you in forty eight hours,” one user wrote. “In future we request that all wars comply with the European Working Time Directive,” another added. “Please. Respect. The. Office. Hours,” another said.

Users ridiculed EU bureaucracy and the bloc’s “geopolitical incompetence,” suggesting that Brussels create a WhatsApp chat to speed up discussions. Some argued that the delay was deliberate, saying the bloc was waiting for the crisis to “resolve itself” before deciding how to respond.

At the national level, the European response varied. In a joint statement, France, Germany, and the UK said they “did not participate” in the US-Israeli strikes, but condemned Iran’s retaliation. Spain and Norway struck a more critical tone, warning that the US-Israeli attacks would further inflame tensions in the region.

The global reaction was sharper. Moscow denounced the US-Israeli strikes as violations of international law and the UN Charter, calling for an immediate return to diplomacy.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry called for “an immediate halt to military actions,” stressing that “Iran’s national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity should be respected.” India, Brazil, and the African Union urged restraint, de-escalation, and sustained dialogue.

Large-scale demonstrations erupted in a number of regions in response to the strikes, both pro-Iranian and anti-war, and anti-American protests broke out in Pakistan and Iraq.