Saudi Arabia condemns Israeli strikes on Iran, urges immediate halt to escalation
Saudi Gazette report
RIYADH — Saudi Arabia on Friday strongly condemned the Israeli strikes on Iranian territory, calling them a blatant violation of Iran's sovereignty and a breach of international law and norms.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed the Kingdom's deep concern over what it described as 'heinous attacks,' emphasizing that the international community — particularly the UN Security Council — bears a major responsibility to immediately stop this aggression and prevent further escalation.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan held urgent phone calls on Friday with his counterparts: Iran's Abbas Araghchi, Jordan's Ayman Safadi, and Egypt's Badr Abdelatty, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
During his call with Araghchi, Prince Faisal reaffirmed the Kingdom's condemnation of the Israeli assault on Iranian soil and reiterated Saudi Arabia's firm rejection of the use of force in resolving disputes.
He stressed the importance of dialogue and diplomacy as the only viable path to address regional tensions.
The Saudi foreign minister warned that the Israeli strikes risk undermining ongoing efforts to reduce tensions and pursue diplomatic solutions across the region.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
an hour ago
- Arab News
Pakistan condemns Israel's ‘blatant aggression' against Iran, calls for dialogue to resolve crisis
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's United Nations Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad this week criticized Israel for its 'blatant aggression' against Iran at a UN Security Council meeting, calling on the international community to use dialogue and diplomatic engagement to resolve tensions in the Middle East. Ahmad's statement came on Friday as tensions in the Middle East soared after Iran fired dozens of missiles at Israel late Friday night, lighting up the skies above Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. The strikes were in response to a large-scale Israeli attack on Tehran's nuclear facilities and military leadership early Friday. Iran said 78 people were killed and over 320 injured in the Israeli strikes. At a UN Security Council briefing meeting on the Iran-Israel tensions on Friday, Ahmed said Tel Aviv's 'blatant provocations' posed a serious threat to the region and beyond, reiterating Iran's right to self-defense. He said Israel's recent military operations in Gaza and repeated cross-border strikes in Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen demonstrate a consistent disregard for international norms. 'Such blatant aggression and contempt for international law has already had devastating consequences,' Ahmad said, pointing out that tens of thousands of people have been killed in Gaza due to Israel's military operations since October 2023. Israeli leaders say the Friday attack was necessary to head off an imminent threat that Iran would build nuclear bombs, though it remains unclear how close the country is to achieving that. Iran maintains its nuclear program is for civilian purposes only. Ahmad said Israel's actions risk eroding the trust of the negotiation process related to Iran's nuclear program, which he said was crucial for the peaceful settlement of these issues. 'We call on all parties to fulfill their respective obligations and responsibilities and avoid escalation,' the Pakistani envoy said. 'Even in these testing times, diplomatic engagement and dialogue must be prioritized.' Ahmad reiterated that the UN Security Council bears the responsibility to maintain international peace and security, calling it to 'hold the aggressor accountable for its actions.' 'This Council must deny Israel the free hand, and the impunity with which it continues to operate in defiance of international law and international opinion,' he said. Israel has long been determined to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, a concern laid bare on Thursday when the Board of Governors at the International Atomic Energy Agency for the first time in 20 years censured Iran over its refusal to work with its inspectors. Iran immediately announced it would establish a third enrichment site and install more advanced centrifuges. Even so, there are multiple assessments on how many nuclear weapons Iran could conceivably build, should it choose to do so. Iran would need months to assemble, test and field any weapon, which it so far has said it has no desire to do. US intelligence agencies also assess Iran does not have a weapons program at this time.
Saudi Gazette
9 hours ago
- Saudi Gazette
Iran launches missile strikes on Israel in retaliation for deadly attacks
TEL AVIV — Iran launched a wave of missile attacks on Israel on Friday, striking the heart of Tel Aviv in retaliation for Israeli airstrikes that targeted Iranian nuclear facilities and killed senior military leaders. Air raid sirens echoed across Israeli cities, and explosions were reported throughout the country as Iranian missiles pierced Israeli air defenses. Five people were wounded in Tel Aviv, according to paramedics on the scene. The strikes came just hours after Israel carried out its most significant military operation inside Iran in decades, targeting nuclear enrichment facilities and ballistic missile sites. At least three senior Iranian military commanders were reported killed, alongside leading nuclear scientists. The Israeli offensive marked a dramatic escalation in a long-running shadow war and raised the prospect of a wider conflict between the two regional follows weeks of growing tension over Tehran's advancing nuclear program and a fresh censure by the U.N. nuclear Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed revenge, declaring that Israel would not "escape safely from this great crime."Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the strikes, saying they had been "planned for months" to reduce what he called an existential threat posed by President Donald Trump urged Tehran to return to negotiations, warning, 'Make a deal before it is too late.'The situation remains volatile, with both sides signaling a readiness for further escalation. The international community has called for restraint to prevent a broader regional conflict. — Agencies
Leaders
10 hours ago
- Leaders
Muslim Nations Should Build Palestinian State on Their Lands: US Envoy to Israel
The US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has said that 'Muslim countries' should build a Palestinian state on their territory, according to BBC. 'Muslim countries have 644 times the amount of land that are controlled by Israel. So maybe, if there is such a desire for the Palestinian state, there would be someone who would say, we'd like to host it,' Huckabee said in a videotaped interview with the BBC. During the interview, he harshly criticized US allies, including the UK and Australia, for imposing sanctions on two far-right Israeli ministers over 'repeated incitements of violence against Palestinian communities' in the occupied West Bank. On June 1, Huckabee attacked France's call for recognizing the Palestinian state, stating that if it adopted such an outcome, it could 'carve out a piece of the French Riviera' and create one, according to Al-Arabiya. The ambassador described the initiative at the UN as 'incredibly inappropriate when Israel is in the midst of a war.' The Israeli statement came after Macron's call for European countries to toughen up their stance on Israel if the humanitarian situation in Gaza did not improve. 'If France is really so determined to see a Palestinian state, I've got a suggestion for them — carve out a piece of the French Riviera and create a Palestinian state. They are welcome to do that, but they are not welcome to impose that kind of pressure on a sovereign nation,' Huckabee said. In May, Israel also accused French President Emmanuel Macron of undertaking a 'crusade against the Jewish state.' Related Topics: Western Allies Impose Sanctions on Israeli Ministers Over West Bank Violence Israel Plans to Build Jewish Israeli State in West Bank Macron Accuses Israel of Committing 'Shameful and Disgraceful' Actions in Gaza Short link : Post Views: 2
