Reactions have been pouring in from around the world after the United States and Israel launched a deadly military assault on Iran early Saturday morning. The unprecedented escalation has sent shockwaves through the international community, raising fears of a wider regional conflict.
World leaders and international organizations have strongly condemned the joint strikes, calling for immediate restraint and a return to diplomacy. At the same time, several U.S. politicians and their allies have defended the attacks, voicing support for the military action and framing it as a necessary response to what they described as threats posed by Iran — accusations Tehran has repeatedly rejected, insisting its actions are defensive and within its sovereign rights.
United States
Senate Majority Leader John Thune praised President Donald Trump for taking military action to counter what he said were clear threats posed by Iran.
Tehran, he said, had “refused the diplomatic off-ramps” presented by the administration before the U.S. and Israeli strikes.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said Iran is now “facing the severe consequences of its evil actions.”
These comments come as Iran and the US were set to hold a new round of talks in Vienna next week.
However, Virginia Senator Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said the U.S. and Israeli strikes raise “serious legal and constitutional concerns.”
“The Constitution is clear: the decision to take this nation to war rests with Congress, and launching large-scale military operations — particularly in the absence of an imminent threat to the United States — raises serious legal and constitutional concerns,” he said in a statement Saturday.
Russia
Russia’s Foreign Ministry released a statement condemning the U.S. and Israel’s strikes on Iran, calling the attacks a “reckless step” and a “deliberate, premeditated, and unprovoked act of armed aggression.”
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev denounced the strikes on Iran, saying, “The peacemaker once again showed his face.”
He added, “All negotiations with Iran are a cover operation. No one doubted it. No one really wanted to negotiate anything.”
Meanwhile, Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom said it has evacuated 94 people from Iran, but its personnel remain at the Bushehr nuclear power plant. CEO Alexei Likhachev said nuclear facilities “should not be targeted under any circumstances,” stressing the risks of attacking civilian nuclear infrastructure.
European Union
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said “the latest developments across the Middle East are perilous” and that the bloc was coordinating with Arab partners to explore diplomatic paths.
Kallas also said she had spoken with Israel's foreign minister and that Europe’s consular network is facilitating departures for EU citizens. “Non-essential EU personnel are being withdrawn from the region,” she added.
United Kingdom
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer chaired a meeting of the government’s emergency committee on Saturday morning.
“We do not want to see further escalation into a wider regional conflict,” a UK government spokesperson said.
The UK Foreign Office updated its travel advice to warn against all travel to Israel and the Palestinian territories and urged British nationals in other Middle Eastern countries to “immediately shelter in place.”
Meanwhile, Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK and a strong ally of President Trump in Britain, called on Starmer to join the U.S. and Israeli campaign against Iran.
“The Prime Minister needs to change his mind on the use of our military bases and back the Americans in this vital fight against Iran!” he wrote on X.
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch also gave her backing to the strikes.
However, a senior Labour MP, Emily Thornberry, chairwoman of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, warned that the UK should resist being drawn into the conflict.
She told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that she did not believe the U.S.-Israeli strikes were legal.
“As far as I’m aware, we’re not involved in this. There has not been British agreement to be involved in this, and I think that’s the right thing to do. I don’t think that there’s a legal basis for this action,” she said.
“They were not under imminent threat, and so it is difficult to see what the legal justification is.”
Spain
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez rejected what he described as “unilateral” military action by the United States and Israel, saying it represented a dangerous escalation and contributed to a more uncertain and hostile international order.
In a statement posted on X, Sánchez also criticized Iran’s retaliatory actions but stressed the need for “immediate de-escalation and full respect for international law.” Iranian officials, however, have described their response as proportionate and in line with their right to self-defense.
France
French President Emmanuel Macron warned that the outbreak of war between the United States, Israel, and Iran could have serious consequences for international peace and security.
He said France stands ready to deploy the “necessary resources to protect its closest partners” if requested.
Macron also called for an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council.
Norway
Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said the initial attack on Iran by Israel breached international law.
“The attack is described by Israel as a preventive strike, but it is not in line with international law,” he said. “Preventive attacks require an immediately imminent threat.” Iran has similarly argued that no such imminent threat existed.
United Nations
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk expressed regret over the strikes by Israel and the United States, as well as the retaliatory strikes by Iran.
“As always, in any armed conflict, it is civilians who end up paying the ultimate price,” he said. “Bombs and missiles are not the way to resolve differences but only result in death, destruction and human misery.”
He called for restraint, de-escalation, and a return to the negotiating table.
Mirjana Spoljaric, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, called on all sides to respect the rules of war and urged them to find the political will to prevent “further death and destruction.”
She warned that “a dangerous chain reaction” of military escalation was under way across the Middle East, with potentially devastating consequences for civilians.
Oman
Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi, who had been mediating recent rounds of indirect talks between the U.S. and Iran, said on X that he was “dismayed” by the U.S. and Israeli attacks.
“Active and serious negotiations have yet again been undermined. Neither the interests of the United States nor the cause of global peace are well served by this. And I pray for the innocents who will suffer,” he said.
“I urge the United States not to get sucked in further. This is not your war.”
Reaction to Iran’s retaliation
Qatar’s emir spoke with Saudi Arabia’s crown prince and exchanged views on the developments and their impact on regional and international security. Both sides stressed the need for an “immediate halt” to escalation and a return to negotiations.
The United Arab Emirates condemned Iranian retaliatory missile attacks against U.S. bases on its soil, calling them a “flagrant violation” of international law and warning of “grave consequences” if they continue. Tehran has maintained that its response targeted military installations involved in the strikes and was a direct reaction to what it views as acts of aggression.
Pakistan
Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar “strongly condemned the unwarranted attacks against Iran” and called for an immediate halt to escalation through urgent diplomacy to achieve a peaceful, negotiated resolution to the crisis.
Malaysia
Malaysia strongly condemned the attacks against Iran and the subsequent retaliatory strikes across the region, including in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Qatar.
The Malaysian Foreign Ministry said the attacks violate the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as the prohibition on the use of force under the UN Charter and international law.
It said such unilateral military measures risk further destabilizing an already fragile region and endangering civilian lives. At this critical juncture, it added, all parties must exercise maximum restraint and resolve disputes through dialogue and diplomacy, in full respect of international law.
