UAE, global powers call for restraint after Iran hits Israel
IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS HAD INFORMED THE US OF ‘LIMITED’ ATTACK’
The UAE and other Arab states Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan and Qatar, along with global powers Russia, China, France and Germany urged restraint after Iran warned Israel and the United States yesterday of a “much larger response” if there is any retaliation for its mass drone and missile attack on Israeli territory overnight, even as Israel said “the campaign is not over yet”.
Turkey also called on Iran to avoid a “new escalation”, while leaders of G7 nations condemned Iran’s unprecedented attack on Israel and called for “restraint” from all sides.
Earlier, in a statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), the UAE called for exercising the utmost restraint in order to avoid serious repercussions, and the region being pulled into new levels of instability.
Quest for peace
The Ministry called for resolving conflicts through dialogue and diplomatic channels, and for adhering to the rule of law and respecting the United Nations Charter. Furthermore, the Ministry called on the United Nations and the UN Security Council to fulfil their responsibilities to enhance international peace and security by resolving long-standing issues and conflicts in the region that threaten global security and stability.
The threat of open warfare erupting between the arch Middle East foes and dragging in the United States has put the region on edge as Washington said America did not seek conflict with Iran but would not hesitate to protect its forces and Israel. “We don’t want to see this escalate,” White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said on NBC’s “Meet the Press”. “We’re not looking for a wider war with Iran.”
Iran launched the attack over a suspected Israeli strike on its consulate in Syria on April 1 that killed top Revolutionary Guards commanders. However, the attack from hundreds of missiles and drones, mostly launched from inside Iran, caused only modest damage in Israel as most were shot down. An Air Force base in southern Israel was hit, but continued to operate as normal and a 7-year old child was seriously hurt by shrapnel. There were no other reports of serious damage.
Iranian Foreign Minister Amir Abdollahian said Tehran had informed the United States its attack on Israel would be “limited” and for self defence.
Iran’s attack on Israel with more than 300 missiles and drones yesterday marked a perilous turn for a fragile region. It was an unprecedented action, the first strike on the Jewish state from Iranian soil. Iran declared it a massive success.
Yet with help from the US, UK and other allies, Israel stopped almost every one of the missiles and drones launched. No one was killed, and the damage minor. It too declared it an enormous success.
Both powers say their rivalry has shifted. Iran called it a “new equation” in which Israel had to know it could be attacked again; Israel said it will hit any nation that attacks it.
Calls for restraint
Leaders of G7 nations yesterday condemned Iran’s unprecedented attack on Israel and called for “restraint” from all sides.
“We unanimously condemned Iran’s unprecedented attack against Israel”, European Council President Charles Michel wrote on X, formerly Twitter, following video talks. “We will continue all our efforts to work towards de-escalation. Ending the crisis in Gaza as soon as possible, notably through an immediate ceasefire, will make a difference.”
Israel’s allies, including the US, are eager for it to show restraint, and not raise the stakes further.
Warm embrace
Many in Israel are open to that approach, partly because Iran’s attack was so unsuccessful, reducing the need for a quick show of force. It’s also because after weeks of scorn from Washington over the conduct of the war against Hamas in Gaza, Israelis felt a warm embrace once more. And that was comforting.
“Israel acted tonight for the first time as part of a coalition,” noted Tamir Heyman, a former chief of military intelligence. “That coalition is the answer to the day after the war in Gaza.”
Clamour for counter attack
But the forces keeping Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in office — those to his right — have a different idea.
They say that if Israel doesn’t respond painfully and soon, Iran and its proxy militias across the region are likely to see weakness.
“Now we need a crushing attack,” said National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, while Foreign Minister Israel Katz said the country will directly strike back at Iranian territory.
Israel’s military emphasised that Iran meant to cause plenty of harm.
“Iran meant to get results and didn’t get results,” Daniel Hagari, the IDF’s main spokesperson, said. “She wanted much more significant damage than what happened.”
Iran said there was a “new equation” between itself and Israel. It suggested it was prepared for a more direct role in the shadow war with Israel that’s usually fought via its proxy militias in the Middle East.
“From now on, if the Zionist regime attacks our interests, assets, people or citizens at any point, we will counter attack from the Islamic Republic of Iran,” an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander said on state television.
‘Not an act of theatre’
Sima Shine, a former research director of Israel’s Mossad spy agency, said she believes Iran took into consideration Israel’s air defence system and wasn’t looking to inflict major casualties.
But Israeli military spokesmen said the arrival of more than 100 ballistic missiles toward the end of the attack was not an act of theatre; they could have caused enormous death and destruction if Israel didn’t have such an advanced air defence system and a strong set of alliances.
For most people in Israel, Iran is the puppet master of its regional foes, starting first and foremost with Hamas, the Islamist Palestinian group that attacked it in October, killing 1,200 and abducting 250 more.
Israel responded with an unforgiving war that is still underway. Some 33,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Hamas.