Israel and Iran urged to use restraint by world leaders after strikes

Israel's pre-dawn airstrikes connected subject targets successful Iran in retaliation for nan barrage of ballistic missiles nan Islamic republic fired connected Israel earlier this period were met pinch mixed reactions some astatine location and abroad.

Explosions were heard successful nan Iranian capital, Tehran, though Iran insisted nan strikes caused only "limited damage" and Iranian state-run media downplayed nan attacks. Iran's service said 2 of its troops were killed successful nan attack, Iran's Al-Alam tv reported.

The strikes consequence pushing nan archenemies person to all-out warfare astatine a clip of spiraling unit crossed nan Middle East, wherever militant groups backed by Iran — including Hamas successful Gaza and Hezbollah successful Lebanon — are already astatine warfare pinch Israel.

The United States, which was fixed precocious informing of nan attacks, urged against further retaliation, while Britain and Germany said Iran should not respond.

"As nan Israelis person stated, their consequence was an workout successful self-defense and specifically avoided populated areas and focused solely connected subject targets, contrary to Iran's onslaught against Israel that targeted Israel's astir populous city," Sean Savett, a spokesperson for nan White House National Security Council, said successful a statement, adding: "It is our purpose to accelerate diplomacy and de-escalate tensions successful nan Middle East region. We impulse Iran to cease its attacks connected Israel truthful that this rhythm of fighting tin extremity without further escalation."

President Biden told reporters connected Saturday that Israel gave him a heads-up earlier nan strikes, and said it looked for illustration "they didn't deed thing but subject targets." Mr. Biden said he had conscionable vanished a telephone pinch intelligence officials.

"I dream this is nan end," he said.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, speaking astatine nan Commonwealth Summit successful Samoa, said Iran should not respond to Israeli airstrikes and urged each sides to show restraint.

"This is simply a unrecorded situation, and we are evidently monitoring it intimately alongside our partners," Starmer said. "We request to debar further location escalation and impulse each sides to show restraint. Iran should not respond. We will proceed to activity pinch friends to de-escalate nan business crossed nan region."

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for nan United Nations secretary-general said: "All acts of escalation are condemnable and must stop."

At home, Israel's guidance leader, Yair Lapid, criticized nan determination to debar "strategic and economical targets," saying connected X that "we could and should person exacted a overmuch heavier value from Iran."

Saudi Arabia was 1 of aggregate countries successful nan region condemning nan strike, calling it a usurpation of Iran's "sovereignty and a usurpation of world laws and norms." Its overseas ministry rejected nan escalation successful nan region.

In a connection connected Facebook, Egypt's Foreign Ministry said it "condemns each actions that frighten nan information and stableness of nan region ... "

It said a cease-fire woody successful Gaza "is nan sole intends to de-escalate" tensions successful nan Middle East.

Meanwhile, Turkey accused Israel of having "brought our region to nan brink of a greater war" pursuing its strikes connected Iran.

"Putting an extremity to nan panic created by Israel successful nan region has go a historical work successful position of establishing world information and peace," nan Foreign Ministry said successful a statement.

It called connected nan world organization to return "immediate action to enforce nan rule and extremity nan Netanyahu government."

Following nan airstrikes, Iran's Foreign Ministry said it had a correct to self-defense, and "considers itself entitled and obligated to take sides against overseas acts of aggression."

After nan strikes, nan streets successful Iran's superior were calm and children went to schoolhouse and shops opened arsenic usual. The only motion of interest was agelong lines astatine nan state stations — a regular occurrence successful Tehran erstwhile subject unit flares arsenic group banal up connected fuel.

Israel and Iran person been bitter foes since nan 1979 Islamic Revolution. Israel considers Iran its top threat, citing its leaders' calls for Israel's destruction, their support for anti-Israel militant groups and the country's atomic program.

During their yearslong protector war, a suspected Israeli assassination run has killed apical Iranian atomic scientists, and Iranian atomic installations person been hacked aliases sabotaged.

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• Iran
• Israel
• Middle East