Countries around the world voiced fears of a Middle East conflagration after the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran Saturday, and Iran targeted US bases in the region in retaliation.
United Nations chief Antonio Guterres condemned the latest developments.
“I call for an immediate cessation of hostilities and de-escalation,” he said in a statement, adding that the attacks on both sides undermined international peace and security.
UN rights chief Volker Turk said further attacks would “only result in death, destruction and human misery”.
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen condemned Iran’s “unjustifiable attacks” on the United Arab Emirates Saturday.
“These attacks constitute a blatant violation of the UAE’s sovereignty and a clear breach of international law,” the European Commission President wrote on X.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced an emergency meeting of EU foreign ministers for Sunday.
Russia condemned the US and Israeli strikes on Iran, warning they were “bringing the region to the brink of a humanitarian, economic, and -- this cannot be ruled out -- radiological catastrophe”.
The UN’s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in a statement calling for restraint added that so far, there was “no evidence of any radiological impact”.
China urged “an immediate halt to military actions”, with Beijing’s foreign ministry insisting that “Iran’s national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity should be respected”.
Qatar, which hosts a US military base, condemned an Iranian missile attack on its territory and warned it “reserves its full right to respond to this attack”.
Norway’s foreign minister said Israel’s strikes on Iran broke international law, noting that “a pre-emptive attack would require the existence of an imminent threat”.
The US and Israeli strikes on Iran violated international law, said South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa.
“Anticipatory self-defence is not permitted under international law and self-defence cannot be based on assumption or anticipation,” he said in a statement, calling for “maximum restraint”.
India’s foreign ministry insisted that “dialogue and diplomacy should be pursued” while the “sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states must be respected”.
Britain, France and Germany jointly condemned Iran’s retaliatory strikes, each saying they had played no part in the US-Israeli operation.
London expressed fears the situation could escalate “into a wider regional conflict”.
French President Emmanuel Macron, urging a halt to the “dangerous” escalation, called for an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam vowed his country would not be dragged into war, after Israel announced it was carrying out strikes targeting Iran proxy Hezbollah in south Lebanon amid the Iran operation.
Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s last shah and a leading critic of Tehran, claimed “final victory” was near following the strikes. “Together we can take back and rebuild Iran,” said Pahlavi -- who lives in exile in the US.
Egypt’s foreign ministry said it “strongly condemns Iran’s targeting of the unity and territorial integrity of brotherly Arab states”, warning of “the grave risks this poses to the security and stability of Arab states”.
“We are deeply disturbed over the US-Israel attacks on our neighbour Iran,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a televised address.
He also denounced Iran’s drone and missile attacks against the Gulf as “unacceptable, regardless of the reason”.
“In order to prevent our region from experiencing greater suffering, all actors, especially the Islamic world, must take action,” he added.
Jordan’s government urged de-escalation while warning it would defend the kingdom’s interests “with all its might”. A government spokesman said the country was not part of the conflict.
Palestinian militant group and Iran ally Hamas condemned the US and Israel’s “aggression” towards Tehran, calling it “a direct assault on the entire region”.
The Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority (PA) “strongly condemned” Iran’s attacks on Arab countries, including several Gulf nations.
It rejected “any infringement on their sovereignty or aggression against them by any party”, without mentioning the earlier US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky argued the strikes on Iran created an opportunity for the Iranian people to oust the “terrorist regime” in Tehran.
International Committee of the Red Cross President Mirjana Spoljaric warned that the “military escalation in the Middle East is igniting a dangerous chain reaction across the region, with potentially devastating consequences for civilians”.
The African Union called “for restraint, urgent de-escalation and sustained dialogue” after the strikes, warning that conflict could risk harming people on the continent.
burs-jj/cc
