World reacts to US, Israel attack on Iran, Tehran retaliation

The outbreak of conflict between Israel and the United States against Iran, triggered by joint US-Israeli strikes across Iran, has drawn frantic calls for calm across the globe.

Criticism has mounted against Washington for taking part in the attacks while still engaged in nuclear negotiations with Tehran. Anger has also surfaced in Gulf states caught up in the conflict, as Iran launches retaliatory missile strikes against US military assets hosted on their soil.

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Here is a breakdown of how countries and institutions are responding:

United States

President Donald Trump announced that the US was engaged in a “major combat operation” aimed at “eliminating threats from the Iranian regime” on Saturday morning, as missiles hit numerous areas in Tehran and across the country. Trump pledged to raze Iran’s missile industry and destroy its navy, while urging the Iranian people to overthrow the government.

Israel

A senior Israeli defence official told the Reuters news agency the joint US-Israeli attacks had been planned for months, with a specific date set weeks ago. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed the attacks aimed to remove an “existential threat” posed by Iran. He said the attacks would “create the conditions for the brave Iranian people to take their fate into their own hands”.

Iran

Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused Israel and the US of violating the United Nations charter with their attacks and pledged a harsh response, as the country waged retaliatory attacks on Israel as well as in several Gulf states that host US military assets, including Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait. “All American and Israeli assets and interests in the Middle East have become a legitimate target,” a senior Iranian official told Al Jazeera. “There are no red lines after this aggression.”

European Union

European ⁠Commission President ⁠Ursula von der Leyen and European Council ⁠President Antonio Costa called the conflict “greatly concerning” and urged all parties “to exercise maximum restraint, to protect civilians, ‌and to fully respect international law”.

Red Cross

Mirjana Spoljaric, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, called on countries to respect the rules of war and urged them to find the political will to prevent “further death and destruction”.

She warned that “a dangerous chain reaction” of military escalation was under way across the Middle East, “with potentially devastating consequences for civilians”.

Oman

The main mediator in ongoing US-Iran negotiations, Oman, expressed dismay at the outbreak of violence. Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said the conflict would not serve US interests, nor the interests of global peace, and urged Washington “not to get sucked in” further.

France

President Emmanuel Macron ⁠called for an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council, ⁠saying the conflict carries “serious consequences” for international peace and security. “The current escalation is dangerous for everyone. It must stop,” he said, adding that Iran must now “engage in good-faith negotiations to end its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, as well as ⁠its actions to destabilise the ⁠region”.

Qatar

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned Iran for firing missiles at Qatari territory, which is home to the Al Udeid Air Base that hosts US troops. The ministry called the attacks a flagrant violation of Qatar’s national sovereignty and a direct assault on its security. It added that Qatar reserves the right to respond, as per international law.

United Arab Emirates

The Ministry of Defence condemned in the “strongest terms” Iran’s attacks on its territory, several of which it said its air defences intercepted. It called the attack “a dangerous escalation and a cowardly act that threatens the security and safety of civilians”, stressing that the UAE has the “full right” to respond.

Bahrain

Bahrain confirmed that an Iranian missile attack targeted the headquarters of the US Navy’s 5th Fleet that it hosts, and called the attack “treacherous”.

Kuwait

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs denounced the Iranian attack on its soil as a “flagrant violation” of international law and said it had the right to respond. It warned that any additional escalation would only deepen regional instability.

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia condemned in the “strongest terms” the Iranian attacks on Gulf Arab states and warned of “dire consequences”.

Pakistan

Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar “strongly condemned the unwarranted attacks against Iran and called for an immediate halt to escalation through urgent resumption of diplomacy to achieve a peaceful, negotiated resolution to the crisis”.

Russia

Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, accused the US of having used its nuclear talks with Iran as a cover-up before military operations. The country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged the international community to swiftly deliver an objective assessment of what it called irresponsible ⁠actions that risk ⁠further destabilising the region.

Ukraine

The ⁠Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused Iran of being responsible for the chain of events leading to the conflict, including its crackdown on protests earlier this year. “The cause of the current ⁠events is precisely ⁠the violence and impunity of the Iranian regime, ⁠in particular the killings and ⁠repression of ⁠peaceful protesters, which have become particularly widespread in recent ‌months,” said the Foreign Ministry.

Norway

Foreign Minister Espen Barth said the initial attack on Iran by Israel breached standards of international law. “The attack is ⁠described by Israel as a preventive strike, but ⁠it is not in line with international law,” said Barth. “Preventive attacks require an immediately imminent threat.”

Belgium 

Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot said the Iranian people “must not pay the price for their government’s choices. We deeply regret that diplomatic efforts could not lead earlier to a negotiated solution.”