New Delhi: US President Joe Biden on Sunday condemned Iran’s unprecedented air attack on Israel and convened a meeting of the G-7 leaders to develop a coordinated response to the brazen assault.
Reaffirming America’s “ironclad commitment to the security of Israel”, Biden condemned Iran’s barrage of missiles and drones in the “strongest possible terms”. American forces joined efforts to down around 300 drones and missiles launched by Tehran, as per Israel, a vast majority of which were intercepted.
Regional tensions are at their highest since the Israel-Hamas war began six months ago. Sunday’s attack is Iran’s first direct military assault on Israel, following a strike this month on an Iranian consular building in Syria that killed 12 people, including two senior Iranian generals in the Revolutionary Guard’s elite Quds Force. On Saturday, commandos from Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard rappelled from a helicopter onto an Israeli-affiliated container ship near the Strait of Hormuz and seized the vessel.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy condemned Iran’s drone and missile attack on Israel, calling for efforts to prevent a further escalation in Middle East conflict.
“Iran’s actions threaten the entire region and the world, just as Russia’s actions threaten a larger conflict, and the obvious collaboration between the two regimes in spreading terror must face a resolute and united response from the world,” Zelenskyy wrote in a post on X.
Russia called on all parties to exercise restraint but said tensions would remain high until the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians was resolved. Iran’s close ally Russia said the West had blocked attempts in the United Nations Security Council to respond to the Israeli strike on the consulate.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called Iran’s attack against Israel as “reckless” and pledged that the UK would stand up for security in the region. “These strikes risk inflaming tensions and destabilising the region. Iran has once again demonstrated that it is intent on sowing chaos in its own backyard. The UK will continue to stand up for Israel’s security and that of all our regional partners, including Jordan and Iraq,” said the British Indian leader.
“Alongside our allies, we are urgently working to stabilise the situation and prevent further escalation. No one wants to see more bloodshed,” he added.
In New York, UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres said, “I am deeply alarmed about the very real danger of a devastating region-wide escalation. I urge all parties to exercise maximum restraint to avoid any action that could lead to major military confrontations on multiple fronts in the Middle East.”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Sunday’s attacks demonstrate the Iranian regime’s “disregard for peace and stability in the region”.
Singapore expressed concern about the “volatile situation in the Middle East, and the continuing danger of the war in Gaza triggering a wider regional conflagration”.
Agencies

Agencies