The EU is urging "all parties" to exercise maximum restraint to avoid an "uncontrollable escalation" in the Middle East after Israel carried out airstrikes in Iran during the night against Saturday.
"The dangerous cycle of attacks and retaliations risks leading to a further expansion of the regional conflict," says the EU in a statement.
"Right to defend itself"
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer emphasizes that Israel "has the right to defend itself against Iranian aggression":
And I want to be equally clear that we must avoid further regional escalation and urge all sides to exercise restraint, he says at a press conference, reports BBC.
The US is also urging Iran to refrain from retaliation, according to the public service company.
In a brief statement from the Pentagon, it is stated that US Defense Minister Lloyd Austin spoke with his counterpart in Israel, Yoav Gallant. From the American side, they express, among other things, support for Israel's right to defend itself.
Threatens security
Israel struck during the night against weapons factories in, among other places, the Tehran area. The US did not participate in the attack, but received information from Israel before the attacks took place.
The Iran-backed Shia militia Hezbollah in Lebanon warns of a "dangerous escalation" in the region after Israel's attack on Iran.
"Hezbollah strongly condemns the treacherous Zionist aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran and considers it a dangerous escalation for the entire region," says Hezbollah in a statement.
The US "bears full responsibility for the massacres, tragedies, and pain" that Israel has caused, adds the Iran-backed Shia militia.
Saudi Arabia is simultaneously condemning the Israeli attack on Iran. A further expansion of the conflict threatens the security of both countries and populations in the Middle East, warns the country's foreign ministry in a post on X.
Pakistan is also condemning the attack, and Iraq is warning of "global silence" after Israel's attack.
