Countries around the world reacted to the attacks launched by the United States and Israel on Iran. The President of the European Commission Ursul von der Leyen and the President of the European Council Antonio Costa qualified the developments in Iran as “extremely worrying” and called on all parties to show maximum restraint, protect civilians and fully respect international law. The former Russian president and current deputy secretary of the Russian Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, denounced the American and Israeli bombings of Iran on Saturday.
Switzerland said it was “deeply alarmed” by the strikes in Iran and urged all parties to respect the UN Charter and international humanitarian law. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bern emphasized the importance of protecting civilian infrastructure and avoiding the escalation of the conflict.
Norway criticized Israel, with Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide saying the attack was “not in accordance with international law”, stating that pre-emptive strikes require an immediate and imminent threat.
Russia has called on its citizens to leave Israel, and former President Dmitry Medvedev has launched harsh criticism of the US and Israel, accusing Iran negotiations of being “cover operations”.
“The peace fighter has once again shown his true face. All negotiations with Iran were nothing but a front operation. No one doubted this. No one actually wanted to negotiate anything. The question is who has more patience to wait for the enemy's inglorious end. The US is only 249 years old. The Persian Empire was founded more than 2,500 years ago. Let's see over 100 years,” Medvedev wrote in a message posted in Russian on his Telegram account.
In the Middle East, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam warned that his country would not be drawn “into adventures that endanger its security and unity.”
On the other hand, Ukraine expressed support for the actions of the US and Israel, citing the violence and repression of peaceful protests in Iran.
The European Union announced the withdrawal of non-essential personnel from the region, describing the situation as “dangerous”. In a social media post, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned of the threat posed by Iran's nuclear and ballistic programs and reiterated the priority of protecting civilians.
“Developments in Iran are extremely worrying. We remain in close contact with our partners in the region. We reaffirm our firm commitment to protecting regional security and stability. Ensuring nuclear security and preventing any actions that could further escalate tensions or undermine the global non-proliferation regime are of critical importance,” European Commission President Ursul von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa said in a joint statement.
They recall that the European Union adopted extensive sanctions in response to the actions of the “criminal regime in Iran” and the Revolutionary Guards and has consistently promoted diplomatic efforts aimed at addressing the nuclear and ballistic programs through a negotiated solution.
“In close coordination with EU member states, we will take all the necessary measures to ensure that EU citizens in the region can count on our full support. We call on all parties to show maximum restraint, protect civilians and fully respect international law,” the two European leaders said.
The EU keeps the Aspides naval mission in the Red Sea on alert to ensure the opening of the maritime corridor.
