Nations react to US strikes on Iran with calls for diplomacy

Associated Press

The U.S. strike on Iran fueled fears that Israel’s war with Tehran could escalate to a wider regional conflict, and other countries began reacting Sunday with calls for diplomacy and words of caution.

President Donald Trump had said Thursday that he would decide within two weeks whether to get involved. In the end, it took just days, and Washington inserted itself into Israel’s campaign with its early Sunday attack.

It remained unclear early on how much damage had been inflicted, but Iran had pledged to retaliate if the U.S. joined the Israeli assault.

Some have questioned whether a weakened Iran would capitulate or remain defiant and begin striking with allies at U.S. targets scattered across the Gulf region.

Here is a look at reactions from governments and officials around the world.

Iraq

The Iraqi government condemned the U.S. strikes on Iran, saying the military escalation created a grave threat to peace and security in the Middle East. It said it poses serious risks to regional stability and called for diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the crisis.

“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 the statement.

Iraq has close relations with both Washington and Tehran, which it has attempted to balance over the years. The country also has a network of powerful Iranian-backed militias, which so far have not entered the fray since the outbreak of the Israel-Iran war.

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia expressed “deep concern” about the U.S. airstrikes, but stopped short of condemning the move.

“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.

Saudi Arabia had earlier condemned Israel’s strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities and military leaders.

Qatar

Qatar said it “regrets” escalating tensions in the Israel-Iran war.

Its foreign ministry in a statement urged all parties to show self-restraint and “avoid escalation, which the peoples of the region, burdened by conflicts and their tragic humanitarian repercussions, cannot tolerate.”

Qatar has served as a key mediator in the Israel-Hamas war and is home to the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East.

Oman

Oman condemned the airstrikes, saying they escalated tensions in the region.

The U.S. airstrikes threaten “to expand the scope of the conflict and constitute a serious violation of international law and the United Nations charter,” a spokesperson for Oman’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

Oman was a mediator in the nuclear talks between Iran and the U.S. that have been upended by the Israel-Iran war.

Lebanon

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.”

Lebanon’s new leadership, which came after Israel and the Hezbollah’s militant group’s devastating war, has urged the country to avoid being dragged into more conflict as it tries to rebuild itself and pull itself from yearslong economic crisis. Hezbollah has not taken military action against Israel in solidarity with its key ally Iran in the conflict, but has not yet commented on Washington’s overnight strikes.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said that Lebanon needs to stay away from any possible regional spillover from the conflict.

“It is increasingly important for us to adhere strictly to the supreme national interest, which is the need to avoid Lebanon being … drawn into the ongoing regional confrontation in any way,” Salam said in a post on X.

European Union

The European Union’s top diplomat said Iran must not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon but she urged those involved in the conflict to show restraint.

“I urge all sides to step back, return to the negotiating table and prevent further escalation,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said in a post on social media.

Kallas will chair a meeting of the 27-nation bloc’s foreign ministers in Brussels on Monday, with the Israel-Iran war high on the agenda.

Italy

Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Iran’s nuclear facilities “represented a danger for the entire area” but hoped the action could lead to de-escalation in the conflict and negotiations.

The Italian minister also said he will speak later Sunday with the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Mariano Grossi, “to understand the consequences that there may be from a security point of view,” after the U.S. attacks.

Italy is doing everything possible to help Italian citizens who want to leave Iran and Israel amid the conflict, he said.

United Nations

U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres said he was “gravely alarmed” by the use of force by the United States.

“There is a growing risk that this conflict could rapidly get out of control – with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region, and the world,” he said in a statement on the social media platform X. “I call on Member States to de-escalate.”

“There is no military solution. The only path forward is diplomacy.”

United Kingdom

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called for Iran to return to the negotiating table to diplomatically end the crisis, saying stability was the priority in the volatile region.

The U.K., along with the European Union, France and Germany, tried unsuccessfully to broker a diplomatic solution in Geneva last week with Iran.

Starmer said Iran’s nuclear program posed a grave threat to global security.

“Iran can never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon and the U.S. has taken action to alleviate that threat,” Starmer said.

New Zealand

New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters urged “all parties to return to talks.”

He wouldn’t tell reporters Sunday whether New Zealand supported President Trump’s actions, saying they had only just happened.

The three-time foreign minister said the crisis is “the most serious I’ve ever dealt with” and that it was “critical further escalation is avoided.”

“Diplomacy will deliver a more enduring resolution than further military action,” he said.

Hamas and the Houthis

Both the Houthi rebels in Yemen and Hamas have condemned the U.S. strikes. The Houthis vowed to support Iran in its fight against “the Zionist and American aggression.”

In a statement on Sunday, the Houthi political bureau called on Muslim nations to join “the Jihad and resistance option as one front against the Zionist-American arrogance.”

Hamas and the Houthis are part of Iran’s so-called “Axis of Resistance,” the collection of pro-Iranian proxies stretching from Yemen to Lebanon that for years gave Iran considerable power across the region.

China

A flash commentary from China’s government-run media asked whether the U.S. is “repeating its Iraq mistake in Iran.”

The online piece by CGTN, the foreign-language arm of the state broadcaster, said the U.S. strikes mark a dangerous turning point.

“History has repeatedly shown that military interventions in the Middle East often produce unintended consequences, including prolonged conflicts and regional destabilization,” it said, citing the American invasion of Iraq in 2003.

It said a measured, diplomatic approach that prioritizes dialogue over military confrontation offers the best hope for stability in the Middle East.

South Korea

South Korea’s presidential office held an emergency meeting on Sunday to discuss the potential security and economic ramifications of the U.S. strikes.

National security director, Wi Sung-lac, asked officials to coordinate closely to minimize any negative impacts on South Korea, emphasizing that the top priority is ensuring the safety of the South Korean people and the continuation of their stable daily lives, according to the presidential office.

Japan

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba told reporters Sunday it was crucial to calm the situation as soon as possible, adding that the Iranian nuclear weapons development also must be prevented.

Ishiba, asked if he supports the U.S. attacks on Iran, declined to comment. He was speaking to reporters after an emergency meeting with officials from key ministries over the U.S. military action.

Ishiba said officials are still assessing details and doing their utmost to protect the safety of the Japanese nationals in Iran, Israel and elsewhere in the region.

While the U.S. attacks on Iran do not affect Japan’s stable energy supply for the time being, Ishiba said, he has instructed officials to “watch the development with a sense of urgency and take every precaution” to prevent an increase in oil and utility costs ahead of the summer when energy demand rises. Any conflict in the Middle East is a concern for resource-scarce Japan, most of whose oil imports come from the region.

Meanwhile, Japan’s largest-circulation newspaper Yomiuri has distributed an extra edition on the attack in Tokyo.

Australia

Australia, which shuttered its embassy in Tehran and evacuated staff Friday, pushed for a diplomatic end to the conflict.

“We have been clear that Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile program has been a threat to international peace and security,” a government official said in a written statement. “We note the U.S. President’s statement that now is the time for peace.”

“The security situation in the region is highly volatile. We continue to call for de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy.”