Nations react to US strikes on Iran with calls for diplomacy
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, June 22, (AP): 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. 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. 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.' 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. 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. 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'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's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba was expected to hold a meeting with key ministers Sunday afternoon to discuss the impact of the U.S. strikes, according to Japan's NHK television. Japan's largest-circulation newspaper Yomiuri is distributing an extra edition on the attack in Tokyo. 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.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab Times
2 hours ago
- Arab Times
No increase in radiation off sites that the US hit: UN watchdog
TEL AVIV, Israel, June 22, (AP): The International Atomic Energy Agency said Sunday that there has been "no increase in off-site radiation levels' after U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites. The U.N. nuclear watchdog sent the message via the social platform X on Sunday. "The IAEA can confirm that no increase in off-site radiation levels has been reported as of this time,' it said. The "IAEA will provide further assessments on situation in Iran as more information becomes available. The United States struck three sites in Iran early Sunday, inserting itself into Israel's war aimed at destroying the country's nuclear program in a risky gambit to weaken a longtime foe despite fears of a wider regional conflict. Addressing the nation from the White House, President Donald Trump asserted that Iran's key nuclear were "completely and fully obliterated.' There was no independent damage assessment. It was not clear whether the U.S. would continue attacking Iran alongside its ally Israel, which has been engaged in a nine-day war with Iran. Trump acted without congressional authorization, and he warned that there would be additional strikes if Tehran retaliated against U.S. forces. "There will either be peace or there will be tragedy for Iran,' he said. Iran's top diplomat, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, warned in a post on X that the U.S. attacks "will have everlasting consequences' and that Tehran "reserves all options' to retaliate. Iran's ambassador to the United Nations called for an emergency Security Council meeting to discuss what he described as the U.S.'s "heinous attacks and illegal use of force' against Iran. In a letter obtained by The Associated Press, Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani said that the U.N.'s most powerful body must "take all necessary measures' to hold the U.S. accountable under international law and the U.N. charter. Early Sunday morning Israel alerted the public of an Iranian missile launch and urged people to take shelter. Sirens sounded in Jerusalem a short while later, and a series of booms were heard. Iranian has been firing missile barrages at Israel since the war began but they have decreased in size as Israel targets Tehran's missile launchers. The Islamic Republic may also be keeping some arms in reserve. The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran confirmed that attacks took place on its Fordo, Isfahan, and Natanz sites, but it insisted that its work will not be stopped. Iran said there were no signs of radioactive contamination at the three locations and no danger to nearby residents. Iran has maintained that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only, and U.S. intelligence agencies have assessed that Tehran is not actively pursuing a bomb. However, Trump and Israeli leaders have claimed that Iran could quickly assemble a nuclear weapon, making it an imminent threat. The decision to directly involve the U.S. in the war comes after more than a week of strikes by Israel on Iran that aimed to systematically eradicate the country's air defenses and offensive missile capabilities, while damaging its nuclear enrichment facilities.
Arab Times
2 hours ago
- Arab Times
Ukraine received at least 20 bodies of Russian soldiers in recent exchanges
KYIV, Ukraine, June 22, (AP): Ukraine's president said that Russia repatriated at least 20 of its own dead soldiers in recent exchanges with Ukraine, describing it as a result of Moscow's disorganization in carrying out large swaps of wounded POWs and remains of troops. Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that an Israeli citizen was among the dead Ukraine had received in recent exchanges. He spoke to journalists on Friday but his comments were embargoed until Saturday. Officials did not disclose the identities of the bodies. "They threw the corpses of their citizens at us. This is their attitude toward war, toward their soldiers. And this is already documented. Sometimes these bodies even have Russian passports,' he said. He said the Russian side insisted the dead were all Ukrainians. Journalists were shown a Russian passport and ID belonging to one of the 20 dead Russians. According to the document, the man came from the Moscow region. The exchanges of the dead and wounded soldiers are the only tangible result of direct peace talks in Istanbul. In June, Ukraine and Russia agreed to exchange the bodies of fallen soldiers in a 6,000-for-6,000 format during the second round of negotiations. Ukraine was concerned that the number was too high and that the sides did not have enough time for forensic examinations and checking the identities of the dead. Zelenskyy said he suspected Russia's plan was to play along with peace talks to appease the US and stave off more sanctions but without ending the war that Russian President Vladimir Putin believes he is winning. He said that because of this, Ukraine would be "in a really difficult situation' of deciding whether to continue the talks in Istanbul. Zelenskyy said Ukraine was against Iran acquiring nuclear weapons, because of its military partnership with Russia, but stopped short of expressing explicit support for Israel's strikes. He repeated that the new war in the Middle East will affect Ukraine indirectly.
Arab Times
3 hours ago
- Arab Times
Brother and sister compete for Florida state senate seat in sibling showdown
ORLANDO, Fla, June 22, (AP): Randolph Bracy and LaVon Bracy Davis are taking sibling rivalry to a new level as the brother and sister run against each other in a race for a Florida state Senate seat on Tuesday. Not only that, one of their opponents for the Democratic nomination in the district representing parts of metro Orlando is Alan Grayson, a combative former Democratic US congressman who drew national attention in 2009 when he said in a House floor speech that the Republican health care plan was to "die quickly.' The headline-grabbing candidates are running in the special primary election for the seat that had been held by Geraldine Thompson, a trailblazing veteran lawmaker who died earlier this year following complications from knee-replacement surgery. A fourth candidate also is running in the Democratic primary - personal injury attorney Coretta Anthony-Smith. The winner will face Republican Willie Montague in September for the general election in the Democratic-dominant district. Black voters make up more than half registered Democrats in the district. Both siblings have experience in the state legislature. Bracy Davis was a state representative, and Bracy was a former state senator. Adding to the family dynamics was the fact that the siblings' mother, civil rights activist Lavon Wright Bracy, was the maid of honor at Thompson's wedding and was one of her oldest friends. She has endorsed her daughter over her son. The siblings' family has been active in Orlando's civic life for decades. Their father, Randolph Bracy Jr., was a local NAACP president, a founder of a Baptist church in Orlando and director of the religion department at Bethune-Cookman University. It wasn't the first time the family has been caught up in competing endorsements. When Bracy and Thompson ran against each other for the Democratic primary in a state senate race last year, Bracy Davis endorsed Thompson over her brother. Campaign fliers sent out recently by a Republican political operative start with "Bracy Yourself!' Bracy, 48, who one time played professional basketball in Turkey, told the Orlando Sentinel that it was "disappointing and hurtful' for his sister to run after he had announced his bid. But Bracy Davis, 45, an attorney by training, said she was running for the people in state senate District 15, not against any of the other candidates. She said that she intended to continue Thompson's legacy of pushing for voters' rights and increasing pay for public schoolteachers. Thompson's family has endorsed Bracy Davis. Grayson was elected to Congress in 2008 and voted out in 2010. Voters sent him back to Congress in 2012, but he gave up his seat for an unsuccessful 2016 Senate run.
