World leaders react to Iran’s attack on Israel

The Israeli forces said in a statement early on Sunday the “vast majority” of missiles launched from Iran were intercepted outside of Israel’s borders.

The international community expressed concern on Sunday after Iran launched drones and missiles at Israel in its first direct attack on Israeli territory.

Iran launched the attack late on Saturday in response to an Israeli attack on an Iranian consular building in Syria earlier this month which killed two Iranian generals.

Israel said in a statement early on Sunday that the “vast majority” of missiles launched from Iran were intercepted outside of Israel’s borders.

Only a few landed in Israeli territory and they caused minimal damage, authorities said.

Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari was quoted by AlJazeera as saying that there was a direct hit on the Nevatim airbase by ballistic missiles but said it caused only “minor damage to infrastructure” and the base remains fully operational, adding that a young girl was injured in the attack.

“Ballistic missiles, only a small number … single digits … fell in the base and around,” Mr Hagari said in a morning briefing. “A direct hit with minor damage that doesn’t do anything to the operation of the base.”

Mr Hagari further described the use of ballistic missiles as an “escalatory factor.” When asked about Israel’s options for an offensive response, he said Israel has plans and was considering its options.

“We have plans, the situation is still ongoing. We are assessing the situation, we are showing the cabinet the plans, and we are ready to do what is necessary for the defence of Israel.”

“I think Iran meant to get results and didn’t get results. The ballistic missiles are an escalatory factor. And when they used these numbers they wanted more significant results than what happened,” Mr Hagari was quoted as saying by the UK Guardian.

Meanwhile, Iran has warned it will strike again with “greater force” if Israel or the US retaliate for the Iranian strike on Israel. Iran also said it considers its attacks as sufficient retaliation for the attack on its consulate.

The two foes have for years been engaged in a shadow war marked by diverse incidents. However, the Israeli attack on an Iranian consulate was the first direct attack on Iran’s territory by Israel. Also, Sunday’s assault, which set off air raid sirens across Israel, was the first time Iran launched a direct military assault on Israel, despite decades of enmity dating back to the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Reaction

US President Joe Biden condemned the Iranian attacks and pledged a coordinated G7 diplomatic response. He said the US had helped Israel take down “nearly all” of the attacking drones and missiles.

Mr Biden said he reiterated the US support for Israel’s security in a call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“I told him that Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks – sending a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel,” Biden said in a statement by the White House.

China

China is deeply concerned about escalation after Iran’s attacks, a spokesperson of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson said in remarks published on its website.

“China calls on relevant parties to remain calm and exercise restraint to avoid further escalation of tensions,” the spokesperson said in response to a question about Iran’s strikes.

This round of tensions is a “spillover from the Gaza conflict”, and quelling that conflict is “a top priority”, the spokesperson added.

Jordan

Jordan’s Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh said any escalation in the region would lead to “dangerous paths” and said that there was a need to reduce escalation by all parties.

Mr Khasawneh said the country’s armed forces would confront any attempt by any party that sought to endanger the kingdom’s security.

Russia

Russia said it was extremely concerned by Iranian strikes on Israel and called on all parties to exercise restraint.

“We express our extreme concern over another dangerous escalation in the region,” Russia’s foreign ministry said. “We call on all parties involved to exercise restraint.”

“We have repeatedly warned that the numerous unresolved crises in the Middle East, primarily in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict zone, which are often fueled by irresponsible provocative actions, will lead to an increase in tension,” the ministry said.

Germany

“We strongly condemn the ongoing attack, which could plunge an entire region into chaos. Iran and its proxies must stop this immediately,” Al Jazeera quoted German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock as saying.

“Israel offers our full solidarity at this time.”

Saudi Arabia

The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement voicing its concern at the “military escalation” and calling on “all parties to exercise utmost restraint and spare the region and its peoples from the dangers of war”.

It urged the UN Security Council “to assume its responsibility towards maintaining international peace and security.”

The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Sunday, at the request of Israel’s ambassador to the UN, the council’s president said in a statement to the media.

Spain

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez of Spain also called for restraint, saying on Twitter (formerly X): “We are following with the greatest concern the evolution of the situation in the Middle East. One must at all cost avoid a regional escalation.”

United Kingdom

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak described Iran’s actions as “reckless.”

“Iran has once again demonstrated that it is intent on sowing chaos in its backyard,” he said in a statement posted on X.

“The UK will continue to stand up for Israel’s security and that of all our regional partners, including Jordan and Iraq,” he added.

Other countries including Argentina, Canada, Colombia, Egypt, and Qatar have called for restraint amid fears of a regional escalation of conflict across the Middle East.

Iran’s foreign ministry has summoned the ambassadors of the UK, France, and Germany to question what it referred to as their “irresponsible stance” regarding Tehran’s retaliatory strikes on Israel, the UK Guardian reported.

Several Iranian airports, including Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International, have cancelled flights until Monday, Iranian state media reported on Sunday. 

Domestic flights from Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport and airports in Shiraz, Isfahan, Bushehr, Kerman, Ilam, and Sanandaj have also been cancelled until Monday morning, according to Iran’s Airports and Air Navigation Company.

Israel, however, said it had reopened its airspace as of 7:30 am local time on Sunday morning. Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq which also closed their airspaces during the Iranian attack have reopened them.