International Calls to De-escalate and Warnings of Serious Consequences After Strikes on Iran

SadaNews - International reactions have been pouring in regarding the American-Israeli strikes that targeted Iran, amid escalating warnings of a widening confrontation in the Middle East, and urgent calls to halt the escalation and return to the diplomatic track.

The United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on Saturday, plunging the Middle East into a new conflict, which U.S. President Donald Trump claimed would end a security threat to the United States and provide Iranians the opportunity to overthrow their rulers.

French President Emmanuel Macron called via the "X" platform for an urgent United Nations Security Council meeting, emphasizing that the outbreak of war between the United States, Israel, and Iran would have "serious consequences" for international peace and security.

Macron stated: "The current escalation is dangerous for all, and it must stop. The Iranian regime must realize that it has no choice but to engage in good-faith negotiations to end its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, as well as its destabilizing activities in the region."

He added: "This is extremely necessary for the security of everyone in the Middle East."

In a related development, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer held an emergency government committee meeting to discuss the ongoing rocket strikes shaking the Middle East, following the American-Israeli strikes on Iran.

The attack prompted a retaliatory response from Iran, with missiles reportedly launched towards Israel and other countries in the region, while the British government confirmed it is not involved in the strikes and is seeking to avoid any escalation that could lead to a wider regional conflict.

A spokesperson for the British government reaffirmed the country's ongoing support for diplomatic solutions to curtail Iran's nuclear ambitions, emphasizing that Iran should not develop a nuclear weapon under any circumstances.

The Russian Foreign Ministry condemned the American-Israeli strikes on Iran today, characterizing them as a "premeditated and unjustified armed aggression against a sovereign and independent UN member state," calling for an immediate halt to military campaigns and a return to diplomatic solutions.

In a statement published on the "Telegram" app, the ministry accused Washington and Tel Aviv of "hiding behind" concerns regarding the Iranian nuclear program while allegedly aiming to "change the regime."

For his part, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, denounced the military escalation in the Middle East, urging all parties to return to the negotiation table, asserting that these attacks will only result in "death, destruction, and humanitarian suffering."

Turk stated in a statement: "I strongly condemn the military strikes carried out by Israel and the United States on Iran this morning, and the Iranian responses that followed. As is always the case in any armed conflict, civilians pay the highest price."

He added: "To avoid these dire consequences for civilians, I call for restraint, and I urge all parties to exercise reason, de-escalate, and return to the negotiating table that they had been striving to resolve just hours ago."

Additionally, the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Marjan Spoljaric, expressed her fears that the American-Israeli attack on Iran could lead to a "series of serious repercussions" in the Middle East.

She stated that "the military escalation in the Middle East raises a series of serious repercussions across the entire region, with potentially devastating consequences for civilians."