The U.S. onslaught connected Iran's atomic sites has fueled fears that Israel's warfare with Tehran could escalate into a wider determination conflict, and different countries reacted Sunday with calls for diplomacy and words of caution. President Trump had said Thursday that helium would determine wrong 2 weeks whether to get involved. In the end, it took conscionable days, and Washington inserted itself into Israel's run with its aboriginal Sunday attack.
It remained unclear aboriginal connected however overmuch harm had been inflicted, but Mr. Trump lauded the "massive precision strikes connected the 3 cardinal atomic assemblies successful the Iranian regime: Fordo, Natanz and Esfahan," arsenic a "massive subject success."
Iran had pledged to retaliate if the U.S. joined the Israeli assault, and President Trump reiterated his stern informing to the Islamic Republic connected Sunday nighttime against targeting immoderate U.S. assets successful the region.
President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are seen successful the White House Situation Room, June 21, 2025, amid strikes connected Iran.
White House/Handout
Some person questioned whether a weakened Iran would capitulate oregon stay defiant and statesman striking with allies astatine U.S. targets scattered crossed the Gulf region. There are astir 40,000 American troops deployed successful the Middle East, galore of them based wrong casual striking region of Iran's missiles, though its stockpile of specified weapons has been depleted by a week of Israeli attacks.
Below is simply a look astatine reactions from assorted governments and different officials astir the world.
Israeli leaders laud U.S. strikes connected Iran
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke pursuing the strikes, the officials said. And in a video address, Netanyahu praised the president for conducting the strikes.
"President Trump and I often accidental bid done strength. First comes strength, past comes peace. And contiguous President Trump and the United States acted with a batch of strength."
Israeli President Isaac Herzog, successful a post connected societal media, called the U.S. strikes "a infinitesimal erstwhile the principles of liberty, responsibility, and information person triumphed. A decisive infinitesimal betwixt the axis of panic and evil and the axis of hope."
He thanked the U.S. and President Trump specifically, saying: "This brave measurement serves the information and information of the full escaped world. I anticipation it volition pb to a amended aboriginal for the Middle East — and assistance beforehand the urgent merchandise of our hostages held successful captivity successful Gaza."
U.N. main says he's "gravely alarmed," pushes for diplomacy
U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres said helium was "gravely alarmed" by the usage of unit by the United States.
"There is simply a increasing hazard that this struggle could rapidly get retired of power — with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region, and the world," helium said successful a statement posted connected societal media. "I telephone connected Member States to de-escalate."
"There is nary subject solution. The lone way guardant is diplomacy."
Iran's allies Hamas, Houthis condemn "American aggression," vow to articulation retaliation
Both the Houthi rebels successful Yemen and Hamas person condemned the U.S. strikes. The Houthis vowed to enactment Iran successful its combat against "the Zionist and American aggression."
In a connection connected Sunday, the Houthi governmental bureau called connected Muslim nations to articulation "the Jihad and absorption enactment arsenic 1 beforehand against the Zionist-American arrogance."
Hamas and the Houthis are portion of Iran's alleged "Axis of Resistance," the postulation of pro-Iranian proxies stretching from Yemen to Lebanon that for years gave Iran sizeable powerfulness crossed the region.
Hamas, agelong designated a violent enactment by the U.S., Israel and the European Union, has ruled the Gaza Strip for astir 20 years. It has been nether blistering onslaught by Israeli forces since it launched its unprecedented Oct. 7, 2023, violent onslaught connected Israel, sparking the ongoing warfare successful the Palestinian territory.
Virtually each of Hamas' elder leaders person been killed, and it remains unclear however overmuch capableness the radical inactive has to equine large attacks connected Israel.
The Houthis, too, person seen their rocket and different subject assets successful Yemen pounded by Israeli warplanes for months, on with U.S. and British strikes aimed astatine reducing the Houthi menace to shipping successful the region.
Lebanon's person says state indispensable debar being drawn in
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said that Lebanon needs to enactment distant from immoderate imaginable determination spillover from the conflict.
"It is progressively important for america to adhere strictly to the ultimate nationalist interest, which is the request to debar Lebanon being ... drawn into the ongoing determination confrontation successful immoderate way," Salam said successful a station connected X.
Lebanon, which sits conscionable northbound of Israel, is the long-time location of the Iranian-backed, Hamas-allied Hezbollah group. Long designated a violent enactment by the U.S., Hezbollah has besides engaged successful warfare with Israel since the Hamas-orchestrated, Oct. 7, 2023, violent attack.
Hezbollah has for galore years been considered 1 of Iran's best-armed and astir potent proxy forces successful the region, but overmuch of its enactment has been killed and its fighting capableness reduced by successive Israeli strikes and months of cross-border crushed operations that saw Israeli forces propulsion heavy into confederate Lebanon.
It remains unclear whether Hezbollah volition articulation successful immoderate Iranian retaliatory strikes against Israel oregon U.S. installations successful the region, oregon what capableness it retains to bash so.
China's state-run media accidental U.S. could repetition "Iraq mistake"
A flash commentary from China's government-run media asked whether the U.S. is "repeating its Iraq mistake successful Iran."
The online portion by CGTN, the foreign-language limb of the authorities broadcaster, said the U.S. strikes people a unsafe turning point.
"History has repeatedly shown that subject interventions successful the Middle East often nutrient unintended consequences, including prolonged conflicts and determination destabilization," it said, citing the American penetration of Iraq successful 2003.
It said a measured, diplomatic attack that prioritizes dialog implicit subject confrontation offers the champion anticipation for stableness successful the Middle East.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer calls connected Iran to negotiate
"Iran's atomic programme is simply a sedate menace to planetary security. Iran tin ne'er beryllium allowed to make a atomic limb and the U.S. has taken enactment to alleviate that threat," British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Sunday connected a connection posted connected societal media.
"The concern successful the Middle East remains volatile and stableness successful the portion is simply a priority," helium added. "We telephone connected Iran to instrumentality to the negotiating array and scope a diplomatic solution to extremity this crisis."
EU urges dialogue, with bloc's overseas ministers acceptable to meet
"Iran indispensable not beryllium allowed to make a atomic weapon, arsenic it would beryllium a menace to planetary security. I impulse each sides to measurement back, instrumentality to the negotiating array and forestall further escalation," European Union overseas argumentation main Kaja Kallas said successful a tweet.
She added that Foreign Ministers from the EU's 27 subordinate states would conscionable Monday, "to sermon the situation."
New Zealand's person says it's "critical further escalation is avoided"
New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters urged "all parties to instrumentality to talks."
He wouldn't archer reporters Sunday whether New Zealand supported President Trump's actions, saying they had lone conscionable happened.
The three-time overseas curate said the situation is "the astir superior I've ever dealt with" and that it was "critical further escalation is avoided."
"Diplomacy volition present a much enduring solution than further subject action," helium said.
Australia appeals for "dialogue and diplomacy"
Australia, which shuttered its embassy successful Tehran and evacuated unit Friday, pushed for a diplomatic extremity to the conflict.
"We person been wide that Iran's atomic and ballistic rocket programme has been a menace to planetary bid and security," a authorities authoritative said successful a written statement. "We enactment the U.S. President's connection that present is the clip for peace."
"The information concern successful the portion is highly volatile. We proceed to telephone for de-escalation, dialog and diplomacy."
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