“Serious escalation”: World reacts to Iran’s drone, missile raids on Israel

The international community has reacted with alarm after Iran launched explosive drones and fired missiles at Israel in its first direct attack on Israeli territory.

Tehran had been threatening to attack Israel after an air raid on April 1, widely blamed on Israel, destroyed Iran’s consulate in Syria, killing 13 people, including two elite Iranian generals.

The Israeli forces said in a statement early on Sunday the “vast majority” of missiles launched from Iran were intercepted outside of Israel’s borders.

Tensions between Israel and Iran have soared since Israel’s six-month war in the Gaza Strip.

Here is how the world reacted to Iran’s retaliatory attacks on Israel:

Argentina

The office of President Javier Milei expressed its “solidarity and unwavering commitment” to Israel in the face of the attacks.

It added that Argentina “emphatically supports the State of Israel in the defence of its sovereignty, especially against regimes that promote terror”, noting an Argentinian court recently held Iran responsible for bomb attacks on the Israeli embassy and a Jewish community centre in Buenos Aires in the 1990s.

Iranian demonstrators react after the IRGC attack on Israel during an anti-Israeli gathering in front of the British embassy in Tehran [Majid Asgaripour/West Asia News Agency via Reuters]
Brazil

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement saying it follows “with grave preoccupation” the news that Iranian drones and missiles were sent to Israel.

It noted that Brazil has been warning the international community, since the beginning of the war on Gaza that the conflict could spread throughout the region.

Canada

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters in Ottawa that his country “unequivocally condemns Iran’s airborne attacks”, adding: “We stand with Israel.”

“After supporting Hamas’s brutal October 7 attack, the Iranian regime’s latest actions will further destabilise the region and make lasting peace more difficult,” he added.

China

China is deeply concerned about escalation after Iran’s attacks, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson said in remarks published on its website.

“China calls on relevant parties to remain calm and exercise restraint to avoid further escalation of tensions,” the spokesperson said in response to a question about Iran’s strikes.

This round of tensions is a “spillover from the Gaza conflict”, and quelling that conflict is “a top priority”, the spokesperson added.

Colombia

President Gustavo Petro called the attacks “predictable”, adding that “we’re now in the prelude to World War III precisely when humanity should rebuild its economy towards the rapid goal of decarbonisation”.

“The support of the US, in practice, for a genocide, has ignited the world. Everyone knows how wars start, no one knows how they end. If only the people of Israel were high enough, like their ancestors, to stop the madness of their ruler,” he said in a statement.

“The United Nations must meet urgently and must immediately commit to peace.”

Egypt

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its “deep concern” at the escalation of hostilities and called for “maximum restraint”.

Its statement also warned of the “risk of the regional expansion of the conflict”, and added that Egypt would be “in direct contact with all parties to the conflict to try and contain the situation”.

European Union

“The EU strongly condemns the unacceptable Iranian attack against Israel,” EU’s top diplomat Josep Borrell said in a post on X.

“This is an unprecedented escalation and a grave threat to regional security.”

France

Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne said Iran is taking a “new step in its destabilising actions and taking the risk of a military escalation”.

Germany

“We strongly condemn the ongoing attack, which could plunge an entire region into chaos. Iran and its proxies must stop this immediately,” Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said.

“Israel offers our full solidarity at this time.”

Saudi Arabia

The Saudi Foreign Ministry has expressed concerns over the “recent military escalations” in the region and their “potential severe repercussions” following Iranian drone and missile attacks directed at Israel.

In a statement published by the Saudi’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on X Sunday, “The Ministry reaffirms the Kingdom’s position that stresses the need for the (UN) Security Council to take responsibility for maintaining international peace and security, especially in this highly sensitive region for global peace and security.”

The ministry stressed the importance of “preventing any further exacerbation” of the crisis, warning of “dire consequences” should the situation worsen.

[Al-Jazeera]