World leaders urge Israel not to retaliate over Iran atack
LONDON: World leaders urged Israel not to retaliate and avoid escalation of conflict in the Middle East ater Iran launched an atack involving hundreds of drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles.
French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and British Foreign Secretary David Cameron made similar appeals, all echoing calls for restraint by Washington and United Nations Secretary-general Antonio Guterres. Countries including Belgium and Germany summoned the Iranian ambassadors.
Cameron told the BBC on Monday the UK does not support a retaliatory strike, while President Macron said Paris will try to “convince Israel that we must not respond by escalating.”
Cameron said Britain’s message to Israel is: “Now is the time to be smart as well as tough, to think with head as well as heart.”
Iran does not want increased tensions but will respond immediately and more strongly than before if Israel retaliates, Iranian Foreign Minister Hos se in ami rab doll ah ian told his british counter part on Monday, according to Iranian state media.
A United Nations Security Council meeting on Yemen on Monday touched on the risk of escalation ater Iran’s atack on Israel.
Diplomats are calling this “a particularly dangerous moment in the Middle East,” as UN special envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg said.
“The need for broader regional de-escalation is acute,” he added. “I share the secretary-general’s alarm about the very real danger of regionwide escalation and his urging to all parties for maximum restraint.” A UN Security Council emergency meeting Sunday to discuss the atack ended without any action taken.
“Now is the time to defuse and de-escalate,” UN Secretary-general António Guterres said. “Now is the time for maximum restraint.”
Some African governments are urging Israel and Iran to avoid an escalation of the conflict.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says “all sides must show restraint” to avoid a rising spiral of violence in the Middle East.
Britain is urging Israel to refrain from a retaliatory strike. Sunak told lawmakers in the House of Commons that “we want to see calmer heads prevail.”
The Kremlin is “extremely concerned” about the situation in the Middle East, its spokesman said on Monday.
Dmitry Peskov told his daily conference call with reporters that Moscow urges “all countries in the region to show restraint.”
Austria’s foreign minister has spoken with his Iranian counterpart to condemn Tehran’s atack on Israel and call on Iran to rein in its proxies in the Middle East. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called on Israel to “contribute to de-escalation” in the Middle East following Iran’s atack on the country.