World leaders call for restraint following Iran’s attack on Israel

World leaders called for restraint on Sunday after Israel came under an unprecedented attack from Iranian drones and missiles that drew widespread condemnation and sparked fears of a broader conflict. Iran’s overnight barrage came in retaliation for a deadly strike on Tehran’s consulate in the Syrian capital in which a senior General of Iran’s Quds force was killed.

It remained unclear how Israel would respond to this major escalation.

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday: “We don’t want to see this escalate. We are not looking for a wider war with Iran.”

Syria, Turkiye and Iraq caution against escalation while France asks citizens in Iran to leave

Syrian support

Syria said on Sunday Iran had exercised its “right to selfdefence”.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein AmirAbdollahian said Tehran had notified neighbouring states ahead of Saturday’s attack, stressing its aim was “to punish the Israeli regime”.

The attack came as fighting between Israel and Hamas raged in Gaza, and the latest attempt to reach a ceasefire in the war appeared to falter.

NATO said it was “vital that the conflict in the Middle East (West Asia) does not spiral out of control”.

Turkiye’s Foreign Minister called on Iran to avoid a “new escalation”, a diplomatic source said, and France urged its citizens in Iran to leave “temporarily”.

President Abdel Latif Rashid of Iraq, Iran’s neighbour, called for a “reduction of tensions” and warned against the “spread of conflict”.