After President Donald Trump confirmed that U.S. B-2 bombers hit three of Iran’s nuclear complexes on Saturday, pulling America into the Middle Eastern conflict, world leaders across the globe have reacted to the escalation.
Late on Saturday night, Trump said the sites were “fully obliterated,” calling the raids essential to halt Iran’s push for a nuclear bomb. Tehran condemned what it called a “criminal” act and said the U.S. had “launched a dangerous war.”
In a post shared on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, part of Iran’s Armed Forces, wrote in Farsi, “Now the war has begun for us.”
Why It Matters
After Saturday’s development, concern over an international expansion on the Israel-Iran conflict has ramped up.
The strikes follow weeks of rising tensions between Iran and Israel, after an Israeli attack earlier this month on Iranian nuclear and military sites. While the U.S. had previously held back, its direct involvement marks a new phase in the conflict.
What To Know
Houthi rebels in Yemen and Hamas have condemned the U.S. strikes, vowing to support Iran in its fight against “the Zionist and American aggression.”
The Iraqi government, which has close relations with both Washington and Tehran, condemned the strikes, saying the military development threatened peace and security in the Middle East.
“The continuation of such attacks risks dangerous escalation with consequences that extend beyond the borders of any single state, threatening the security of the entire region and the world,” government spokesman Bassem al-Awadi said in a statement.
While it did not condemn the move, Saudi Arabia expressed “deep concern” about the U.S. attacks.
“The Kingdom underscores the need to exert all possible efforts to exercise restraint, de-escalate tensions, and avoid further escalation,” the kingdom’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Qatar also refraining from condemning the attacks, but said it “regrets” escalating tensions in the Israel-Iran war.
Doha’s Foreign Ministry urged the countries involved to “avoid escalation, which the peoples of the region, burdened by conflicts and their tragic humanitarian repercussions, cannot tolerate.”
Condemning the airstrikes, Oman said they threatened “to expand the scope of the conflict and constitute a serious violation of international law and the United Nations charter.”
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said the U.S. bombing could lead to a regional conflict that no country could bear and called for negotiations.
“Lebanon, its leadership, parties, and people, are aware today, more than ever before, that it has paid a heavy price for the wars that erupted on its land and in the region,” Aoun said in a statement on X. “It is unwilling to pay more, and there is no national interest in doing so, especially since the cost of these wars was and will be greater than its ability to bear.”
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Iran’s nuclear facilities “represented a danger for the entire area,” adding he would speak with the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Mariano Grossi, on Sunday, “to understand the consequences that there may be from a security point of view.”
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called for Iran to return to the negotiating table to diplomatically end the crisis—the U.K., along with the European Union, France and Germany, tried unsuccessfully to find a solution in Switzerland last week with Iran.
Winston Peters, New Zealand’s foreign minister, also called for peace talks, saying the crisis is “the most serious I’ve ever dealt with.”
South Korea’s presidential office held an emergency meeting on Sunday to discuss the economic and political impacts of the strikes, while Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba told reporters Sunday it was crucial to calm the situation as soon as possible.
Australia’s government, which closed its embassy in Tehran and evacuated staff on Friday, said in a statement: “We have been clear that Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile program has been a threat to international peace and security. We note the U.S. President’s statement that now is the time for peace.”
What People Are Saying
European Union Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas said in a post on social media: “I urge all sides to step back, return to the negotiating table and prevent further escalation.”
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, wrote on X: “I am gravely alarmed by the use of force by the United States against Iran today. This is a dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge—and a direct threat to international peace and security. There is a growing risk that this conflict could rapidly get out of control—with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region, and the world. I call on member states to de-escalate.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on X: “Last week, we were in negotiations with the U.S. when Israel decided to blow up that diplomacy. This week, we held talks with the E3/EU when the | decided to blow up that diplomacy. What conclusion would you draw?” The E3 refers to member states Germany, France and Italy.
What Happens Next
While a number of leaders have called for Iran to return to the negotiating table, the country’s foreign minister has suggested it is unlikely that it will.
“To Britain and the EU High Rep, it is Iran which must ‘return’ to the table. But how can Iran return to something it never left, let alone blew up?” Abbas Araghchi wrote in a post on X.
This story contains reporting from The Associated Press.
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