The outbreak of conflict between Israel and the United States against Iran, triggered by joint US-Israeli strikes across Iran, has drawn frantic calls for calm across the globe.
Criticism has mounted against Washington for taking part in the attacks while still engaged in nuclear negotiations with Tehran. Anger has also surfaced in Gulf states caught up in the conflict, as Iran launches retaliatory missile strikes against US military assets hosted on their soil.
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Here is a breakdown of how countries and institutions are responding:
United States
President Donald Trump announced that the US was engaged in a “major combat operation” aimed at “eliminating threats from the Iranian regime” on Saturday morning, as missiles hit numerous areas in Tehran and across the country. Trump pledged to raze Iran’s missile industry and destroy its navy, while urging the Iranian people to overthrow the government.
Israel
A senior Israeli defence official told the Reuters news agency the joint US-Israeli attacks had been planned for months, with a specific date set weeks ago. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed the attacks aimed to remove an “existential threat” posed by Iran. He said the attacks would “create the conditions for the brave Iranian people to take their fate into their own hands”.
