US and Israeli strikes on Iran are intensifying instability in the Middle East and opening a new, more dangerous geopolitical era that only benefits the EU's adversaries, European Council President António Costa said.

"The international system is changing fundamentally. A world in which power politics plays a role again," Costa said at a meeting of the EU diplomatic corps in Brussels. "We understand the new reality — a reality in which Russia violates peace, China violates trade, and the United States challenges the rules-based international order."

According to Costa, the US-Israeli strikes that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have caused "serious economic consequences" following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz — a key route for international trade.

He noted that the campaign has benefited Russia in its war against Ukraine by "violating international law," driving up energy prices and diverting military resources that could have been directed toward supporting Kyiv.

Costa emphasized that the EU seeks for Iranians to obtain rights and freedoms, "but freedom and human rights are not achieved through bombs. Only international law protects them." He added that the rules-based international order must be defended, and "violations of international law cannot be accepted, whether in Ukraine, Greenland, Latin America, Africa, Gaza or the Middle East."

Costa's remarks came amid growing concern among European leaders over the strikes on Iran. French President Emmanuel Macron warned last week that the attacks "go beyond international law," while Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez faced criticism from Washington after refusing to allow US military use of Spanish airfields for operations. Costa sharply criticized Trump's threats of a trade embargo against Spain over its position, stating last week: "The EU will always ensure full protection of the interests of its member states."

Trump, meanwhile, said on Monday that the war with Iran is "going very fast and is almost completely finished" and that the conflict will end "very soon."