Nations react to US strikes on Iran with calls for diplomacy

The US strike on Iran has fuelled fears that Israel’s war with Tehran could escalate to a wider regional conflict, and world leaders have reacted with calls for diplomacy and words of caution.

US President Donald Trump had said on 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 attack early on Sunday.

It remains unclear how much damage had been inflicted, but Iran had pledged to retaliate if the US joined the Israeli assault.

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

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

Lebanon

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said 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,” He said on X.

United Nations

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 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 did not say whether Auckland supports Mr 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 is “critical further escalation is avoided”.

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

Hamas and the Houthis

Both the Houthi rebels in Yemen and Hamas have condemned the US 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 US is “repeating its Iraq mistake in Iran”.

The online piece by CGTN, the foreign-language arm of the state broadcaster, said the US 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 destabilisation,” it said, citing the American invasion of Iraq in 2003.

It said a measured, diplomatic approach that prioritises 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 US strikes.

National security director Wi Sung-lac asked officials to co-ordinate closely to minimise any negative impacts on South Korea, emphasising 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

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said it is crucial to calm the situation as soon as possible, adding the Iranian nuclear weapons development must also be prevented.

Asked if he supports the US attacks on Iran, he declined to comment.

Australia

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

“We have been clear that Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programme has been a threat to international peace and security,” a government official said in a written statement.

“We note the US 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.”

Iraq

The Iraqi government condemned the strikes, saying the military escalation creates 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.

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia expressed “deep concern”, 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 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”.

Oman

Oman condemned the air strikes, saying they escalate tensions in the region.

The US strikes 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.

European Union

The EU’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,” foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said in a post on social media.

Ms 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” and he now hopes the action can lead to de-escalation in the conflict and negotiations.

The Italian minister also said he will speak 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 US attacks.

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

Russia

Dmitry Medvedev, who serves as deputy head of President Vladimir Putin’s Security Council, said several countries are prepared to supply Tehran with nuclear weapons.

He did not specify which countries, but he said the US attack had caused minimal damage and will not stop Tehran from pursuing nuclear weapons.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry said it “strongly condemned” the air strikes and called them a “gross violation of international law, the UN Charter, and UN Security Council resolutions”.

Pakistan

Pakistan condemned the US strikes as a “deeply disturbing” escalation just days after it nominated Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for his diplomatic intervention with the India-Pakistan crisis.

“These attacks violate all norms of international law,” the government said in a statement. “Iran has the legitimate right to defend itself under the UN Charter.”

The Vatican

Pope Leo made a strong appeal for peace during his Sunday Angelus prayer in St Peter’s Square, calling for international diplomacy to “silence the weapons”.

After an open reference to the “alarming” situation in Iran, he urged every member of the international community to take up their moral responsibility to “stop the tragedy of war before it becomes an irreparable abyss”.

Egypt

President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi warned of “grave repercussions” for expanding the Middle East conflict and urged a return to negotiations.

Latin America

Left-wing Latin American governments expressed fierce opposition to the US strikes.

Iran-allied Venezuela called the attacks “illegal, unjustifiable and extremely dangerous”. Colombian President Gustavo Petro said they were an insult to the Middle East. Chile’s President, Gabriel Boric, said they violated “rules we have established as humanity”. Mexico’s Foreign Ministry made “an urgent call for peace”.

In contrast, Argentina’s libertarian President Javier Milei, a loyal ally of Mr Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, praised the attacks on social media. “Terrorism, never again,” his spokesperson said.