Conviction, requires restraint: World reacts to Israeli strikes on Iran | Israel-Palestine Conflicts News

The Israeli army launched strikes on military bases in Iran, attacking about 20 sites in a few hours in Ilam, Khuzestan and Tehran.

Iran confirmed that Saturday’s attack targeted military bases but caused “minor damage”, an uproar that marked an escalation in the ongoing conflict between the two countries.

Israel’s military announced the operation was over, and military spokesman Daniel Hagari said if Iran carried out retaliatory strikes, Israel would be “forced to respond”.

Iran’s air defense headquarters said “the malicious act was successfully detected and countered by the country’s coordinated air defense system”.

Here are some of the world’s reactions:

United States

“We urge Iran to stop attacking Israel so that this cycle of hostilities ends without further escalation,” US National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett told reporters.

“Their response was to defend themselves and avoid mainly populated areas and focus only on military targets, as opposed to Iran’s attack against Israel which targeted a populated Israeli city,” he added.

Emphasizing that the US did not participate in this project, he said “it is our aim to speed up negotiations and reduce tensions in the Middle East region”.

A senior White House official said the Biden administration believes the Israeli occupation should “shut down” military exchanges between Israel and Iran. US President Joe Biden was updated during the Israeli operation and as the attack was carried out by the Israelis, said the official.

Pentagon spokesman Patrick Ryder sent to X that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant and “reaffirmed the strong US commitment to Israel’s security and right to self-defense”.

Saudi Arabia

Criticizing the military targeting Iran as a “violation of its sovereignty” and international law, the Foreign Ministry urged all parties to “restrain force and de-escalate”.

The Ministry said in a statement, “The Kingdom reaffirms its strong position in its rejection of the continued expansion in the region and the escalation of conflicts that threaten the security and stability of the countries and people of the region.”

In recent months, relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran have improved with high-level meetings held between officials from both sides.

In 2023, the two countries agreed to re-establish diplomatic relations and reopen their embassies in an agreement reached in China.

Iraq

“The active Zionist movement continues its brutal policies and increases conflicts in the region with open attacks that it carries out with impunity”, including against Iranian targets, said government spokesman Basim Alawadi in a statement criticizing the “silence of the international community” on Israel’s actions. .

A statement from the prime minister’s office said Iraq “reiterates its demand for a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon, as well as full regional and international efforts to support stability in the region”.

Hamas

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

“We consider it a clear violation of Iranian sovereignty and escalation towards the security of the region and the security of its people, which puts the responsibility fully on the consequences of this violence supported by the United States of America.”

United Kingdom

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

“It is clear that Israel has the right to defend itself against Iranian aggression. I am equally clear that we need to avoid regional escalation and urge all parties to exercise restraint. Iran must not respond,” he told a news conference in Samoa, where he had been attending a meeting of Commonwealth leaders.

Pakistan

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

The attack “undermines the path to peace and stability in the region and creates a dangerous escalation in an already volatile region,” the ministry said in a statement, adding that “Israel bears full responsibility for the current cycle of escalation and escalation of conflict in the region.” .

It also called on the United Nations Security Council “to play its role in maintaining international peace and security, and to take immediate steps to end Israel’s recklessness in the region and its criminal behavior”.

United Arab Emirates

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

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized “the importance of using the highest levels of restraint and discretion to avoid risks and escalation of conflicts”.

Oman

The attack was a “flagrant violation” of Iran’s sovereignty, the Foreign Ministry said, adding that the Israeli airstrikes were “an escalation that incites violence and undermines efforts aimed at de-escalation and de-escalation”.

It also called on “the international community to take effective measures to stop violence and end violations in the territories of neighboring countries”.

Malaysia

The Foreign Ministry called the Israeli strikes “a flagrant violation of international law” that “gravely undermines regional security”.

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

Israel’s continued attacks on Middle Eastern countries continue to bring the region closer to the brink of a full-scale war, the ministry said in a statement.