PHOTO: ATTA KENARE / AFP
Countries around the world condemned Iran's strikes on Israel late Saturday, warning the attack threatened to further destabilise the Middle East.
Here are some of the main reactions so far:
UNITED STATES:
US President Joe Biden promised "ironclad" support for Israel after holding an urgent meeting with top security officials.
"I just met with my national security team for an update on Iran's attacks against Israel. Our commitment to Israel's security against threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad," Biden said on X, posting a picture of the meeting in the White House Situation Room.
BRITAIN:
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak condemned the "reckless" strikes, which he said "risk inflaming tensions and destabilising the region. Iran has once again demonstrated that it is intent on sowing chaos in its own backyard."
UNITED NATIONS:
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned "the serious escalation represented by the large-scale attack launched on Israel by the Islamic Republic of Iran".
"I am deeply alarmed about the very real danger of a devastating region-wide escalation," he added, calling on parties to "avoid any action that could lead to major military confrontations on multiple fronts in the Middle East".
EGYPT:
Cairo's foreign ministry expressed its "deep concern" at the escalation of hostilities and called for "maximum restraint".
The ministry's 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".
CHINA:
China's foreign ministry also urged restraint, characterising the attack as "the latest spillover of the Gaza conflict" and calling for the implementation of a recent UN Security Council resolution demanding a ceasefire there, saying the "conflict must end now".
"China calls on the international community, especially countries with influence, to play a constructive role for the peace and stability of the region," it added.
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' brutal October 7 attack, the Iranian regime's latest actions will further destabilise the region and make lasting peace more difficult," he added.
UKRAINE:
Ukraine's foreign ministry said Kyiv "strongly condemns Iran's massive air attack" saying it could lead to "further grave acceleration in the Middle East".
"The attack also demonstrates why it is critical that all of the free world's forces are consolidated to defend the global borders of democracy."
