Condemnation, calls for restraint: World reacts to Israeli strikes on Iran

The Israeli military launched strikes on military bases in Iran, hitting about 20 sites over several hours in Ilam, Khuzestan and Tehran.

The Iranian army confirmed two soldiers were killed after it said the attacks on Saturday targeted military bases but resulted in only “limited damage”, the barrage marking an escalation in the ongoing tensions between the two countries.

The Israeli army announced that the operation was complete, and military spokesman Daniel Hagari said that if Iran carries out retaliatory strikes, Israel will be “obligated to respond”.

Iran’s air defence headquarters said the “aggressive action was successfully intercepted and countered by the country’s integrated air defense system”. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Iran was “entitled and obligated to defend itself against external aggressive acts” after the attacks on its soil.

Here are some world reactions:

United States

“We urge Iran to cease its attacks on Israel so that this cycle of fighting can end without further escalation,” US National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett told reporters.

“Their response was an exercise in self-defence and specifically avoided populated areas and focused solely on military targets, contrary to Iran’s attack against Israel that targeted Israel’s most populous city,” he added.

Stressing that the US did not participate in the operation, he said “it is our aim to accelerate diplomacy and de-escalate tensions in the Middle East region”.

A senior White House official said the Biden administration believed the Israeli operation should “close out” the direct military exchange between Israel and Iran. US President Joe Biden was updated as the Israeli operation was developing, the official said.

Pentagon spokesman Patrick Ryder posted on social media platform X that Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke to his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant and “reaffirmed the ironclad commitment of the US to Israel’s security and right to self-defense”.

Qatar

The attack was a “blatant violation of Iran’s sovereignty and a clear breach of international law,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

Its statement expressed “deep concern regarding the serious repercussions that may result from this escalation” and urged all parties “to exercise restraint, resolve disputes through dialogue and peaceful means, and avoid anything that could destabilize security and stability in the region”.

The ministry reiterated a call for the international community to intensify efforts aimed at de-escalation and “ending the suffering of the peoples of the region, particularly in Gaza and Lebanon”.

Egypt

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it “condemns all actions that threaten the security and stability of the region”.

In a statement, it said: “Egypt stresses its position that a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip should be reached quickly within the framework of a deal through which hostages are released given that it is the only way to de-escalate.”

Turkey

“Israel, which is committing genocide in Gaza, preparing to annex the West Bank, and killing civilians every day in Lebanon, has now brought our region to the brink of a wider war with this attack,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

“It is now clear that putting an end to Israeli terror in the region has become a historic task to ensure international security and peace,” it added in a statement, which called on the international community to “take immediate action to enforce the law and stop the [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu government”.

“We do not want any further war, violence, or lawlessness in our region,” it said.

Saudi Arabia

Condemning the military targeting Iran as a “violation of its sovereignty” and international laws, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged all parties to “exercise the utmost restraint and reduce escalation”.

The ministry said in a statement, “The Kingdom affirms its firm position in its rejection of the continued escalation in the region and the expansion of the conflict that threatens the security and stability of the countries and peoples of the region.”

Iraq

“The occupying Zionist entity continues its aggressive policies and widening the conflict in the region through blatant attacks that it carries out with impunity”, including against Iranian targets, government spokesman Basim Alawadi said in a statement denouncing “the international community’s silence” on Israeli actions.

A statement from the prime minister’s office said Iraq “reiterates its firm stance calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon, and for comprehensive regional and international efforts to support stability in the region”.

Jordan

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates said the international community must “shoulder its responsibilities and take immediate measures to stop the Israeli aggression on Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon as a first step towards reducing the escalation, stopping Israel’s violations of international law and [United Nations] resolutions, and protecting the security and stability of the region from the disastrous consequences of continued Israeli attacks”.

Kuwait

Condemning the Israeli attacks, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said they reflected “the policy of chaos pursued by the Israeli occupation forces through violating the sovereignty of states” and “endangering the security of the region”.

Hamas

The Palestinian group said it condemned “the Zionist aggression” against Iran.

“We consider it a flagrant violation of Iranian sovereignty and an escalation targeting the security of the region and the safety of its peoples, which holds the occupation fully responsible for the repercussions of this aggression supported by the United States of America.”

United Kingdom

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Iran should not respond to a wave of Israeli strikes, urging restraint on all sides.

“I am clear that Israel has the right to defend itself against Iranian aggression. I’m equally clear that we need to avoid further regional escalation and urge all sides to show restraint. Iran should not respond,” he told a news conference in Samoa, where he has been attending a Commonwealth leaders’ meeting.

France

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged “all parties to abstain from any escalation and action that could worsen the extremely tense context in the region”.

Pakistan

The Israeli military strikes “against the sovereignty and territorial integrity” of Iran “are a grave violation of the UN Charter and the international law”, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

The attacks “undermine path to regional peace and stability and also constitute a dangerous escalation in an already volatile region,” the ministry statement said, adding that “Israel bears full responsibility for the current cycle of escalation and expansion of the conflict in the region”.

It also called on the United Nations Security Council “to play its role for the maintenance of international peace and security, and to take immediate steps to bring an end to Israeli recklessness in the region and its criminal behaviour”.

United Arab Emirates

The Gulf nation condemned the military targeting of Iran and expressed “deep concern over the continued escalation and its impact on regional security and stability”.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasised the “importance of exercising the highest levels of restraint and wisdom to avoid risks and the expansion of conflict”.

Oman

The attack was a “blatant violation” of Iran’s sovereignty, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, adding that the Israeli air strikes were “an escalation that fuels the cycle of violence and undermines efforts aimed at de-escalation and reducing tension”.

It also called on the “international community once again to take effective action to stop the aggression and put an end to violations on the territories of neighbouring countries”.

Malaysia

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the Israeli strikes a “clear violation of international law” that “seriously undermine regional security”.

It also said that “Malaysia calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities and an end to the cycle of violence”.

Israel’s continued attacks on countries in the Middle East continue to bring the region closer to the brink of a wider war, the ministry statement added.