People gather in support of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps attack on Israel on April 14, 2024 in Tehran, Iran. Late Saturday, Iran launched a direct attack on Israel, about two weeks after the Israeli attack on the Iranian consulate in Syria.
Majid Saeedi | Getty Images News | fake images
World leaders have called for calm following Iran's large-scale airstrikes against Israel on Saturday, and many have expressed deep concern about the prospect of a broader regional conflict.
Iran's attacks, which Israel's defense forces say involved more than 300 drones and missiles against military targets in Israel, have raised fears of a spillover conflict in a region already struggling with the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip. .
The attack caused only limited damage, and Israel's military said its Iron Dome air defense system intercepted 99% of the drones and missiles launched by Iran.
Iran says its air offensive came in response to an Israeli attack on its embassy compound in the Syrian capital of Damascus earlier this month.
“We will not be able to comment on claims regarding an attack in Damascus,” an Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson told CNBC on Sunday.
Ahead of a War Cabinet meeting on Monday, Israel has pledged to “demand a price” from Iran in response to Saturday's attack. Analysts have said they are unsure of the exact timing or extent of any such retaliation.
US President Joe Biden said on Saturday that he condemns “in the strongest possible terms” Iran's unprecedented airstrike on military facilities in Israel.
Biden added that the US “will remain vigilant to all threats and will not hesitate to take all necessary measures to protect our people.”
His comments come as some senior US officials reportedly fear that Israel could soon respond to Iran's drone and missile attacks and trigger a broader regional conflict, according to NBC News.
Biden, who once again affirmed the White House's “ironclad” commitment to Israel's security over the weekend, has privately expressed concern that Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to drag the United States into United to a broader conflict, NBC News reported on Sunday, citing three unnamed people familiar with the matter.
CNBC could not independently verify the report.
'Prelude to World War III'
In South America, Colombian President Gustavo Petro called on the United Nations to “meet urgently” and “immediately commit to peace.”
“It was predictable; now we are in the prelude to World War III, precisely when humanity should rebuild its economy towards the rapid goal of decarbonization,” Petro said.
“The United States' support, in practice, for a genocide, has ignited the world. Everyone knows how wars start, no one knows how they end.”
Gustavo Petro, president of Colombia, during a meeting with Nicolás Maduro, president of Venezuela (not pictured), at the Miraflores Palace in Caracas, Venezuela, on Tuesday, April 9, 2024.
Bloomberg | Bloomberg | fake images
Argentine President Javier Milei said his office expressed its “solidarity and unwavering commitment” to Israel in the wake of Iran's attacks.
“The Argentine Republic recognizes the right of Nation-States to defend themselves and firmly supports the State of Israel in the defense of its sovereignty, particularly against regimes that promote terror and seek the destruction of Western civilization,” Milei stated.
“No one wants to see more bloodshed”
European leaders criticized Iran's attack on Israel and vowed to work to de-escalate the situation.
“I condemn in the strongest terms the unprecedented attack launched by Iran against Israel, which threatens to destabilize the region,” said French President Emmanuel Macron. saying on Sunday on social media platform X.
“France is working with its partners to reduce tension and calls for restraint.”
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak records a statement on the Iranian attacks on Israel overnight, at 10 Downing Street, on April 14, 2024 in London, England.
Wpa pool | Getty Images News | fake images
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Saturday that Germany “strongly” condemned the attack and warned it could “plunge an entire region into chaos.”
“Iran and its proxies must stop this immediately. Israel has our full solidarity at this time,” Baerbock said via X, according to an NBC translation.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Saturday he condemned “in the strongest terms” the “reckless” Iranian attack on Israel, adding that the country would “continue to defend” Israel's security.
“Iran has demonstrated once again that it intends to wreak havoc in its own backyard,” Sunak said in a statement.
“Together with our allies, we are working urgently to stabilize the situation and prevent further escalation. No one wants to see more bloodshed,” he added.
France and the United Kingdom intercepted some of Iran's attacks against Israel on Saturday.
“Maximum levels of moderation”
In the Middle East and North Africa region, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia voiced “deep concern” about the evolution of the military escalation in the region “and the seriousness of its repercussions.”
In a statement published through would have “serious consequences if it expands.”
Egypt said it expressed “deep concern” about the Iranian offensive and called for “the maximum degree of restraint to prevent the region and its people from suffering further factors of instability and tension.”
“Egypt considers that the dangerous escalation that the Iranian-Israeli arena is currently witnessing is nothing more than a direct result of what Egypt has repeatedly warned about the dangers of expanding the conflict in the region as a result of the Israeli war in Gaza. Strip and the provocative military actions being carried out in the region,” the ministry said in X, according to a translation.
'The latest spillover of the Gaza conflict'
In Asia, a spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry He said on Sunday that Beijing expressed “deep concern” over escalating tensions in the region and called on relevant parties “to exercise calm and restraint.”
“The current situation is the latest consequence of the Gaza conflict,” the spokesman said in response to a question about Iran's attacks.
“China calls on the international community, especially influential countries, to play a constructive role for peace and stability in the region.”
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa speaks during a news conference announcing the resumption of funding for the United Nations agency for Palestine refugees, or UNRWA, Kyodo news agency reported in Tokyo. , Japan, on April 2, 2024.
Anadolu | Anadolu | fake images
Japan's Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa said the country was “deeply concerned by the attacks, which further deteriorate the current situation in the Middle East, and strongly condemns such escalation.”
“Japan has been strongly urging the parties involved to calm the situation as peace and stability in the Middle East is also extremely important to Japan,” Kamikawa said in a statement on Sunday.
