The coordinated US and Israeli air strikes on Iranian cities have triggered a wave of sharply divided international reactions, exposing deep fractures in global diplomacy and raising fears of a wider regional war.
What began as what Washington described as “major combat operations” has rapidly evolved into a defining geopolitical crisis, drawing responses from world leaders, international institutions, and regional powers across the Middle East, Europe, Asia, and beyond.
US President Donald Trump framed the strikes as a decisive military operation, calling on Iranians to rise up against their government and urging Iranian forces to surrender.
He later confirmed the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a claim subsequently confirmed by Iranian state television. Israel described the attacks as a “preemptive strike,” presenting them as necessary to neutralise what it called an existential threat.
In response, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced retaliatory operations across the Middle East under the banner of “Operation Truthful Promise 4,” targeting US bases and allied assets in the region.
The exchange of strikes marked a dramatic escalation following weeks of diplomatic threats and stalled negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme.
At the international level, the strongest condemnation came from the United Nations. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the use of force by the US and Israel, followed by Iran’s retaliation, was undermining international peace and security.
He called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and de-escalation, cautioning that failure to do so risked a wider regional conflict with devastating consequences for civilians and long-term stability.
At an emergency United Nations Security Council meeting in New York, US Ambassador Mike Waltz defended the strikes as targeted operations designed to dismantle Iran’s missile capabilities, degrade naval assets, disrupt support for proxy militias, and prevent Iran from ever acquiring nuclear weapons.
Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, echoed this position, arguing that Israel and the US had acted to stop an existential threat to Israel, its allies, and global stability.
Russia, a key Iranian ally, condemned the strikes outright. Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzia warned that the attacks had already escalated tensions and could spill far beyond Iran’s borders, while Moscow accused the US and Israel of irresponsible actions that undermined peace and security in the Middle East.
In the Gulf region, diplomatic voices reflected both anger and alarm. Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi, who had been mediating the recent US–Iran nuclear talks, said he was “dismayed,” warning that active negotiations had been undermined and urging Washington not to be drawn further into what he described as a war that did not serve global peace.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi denounced the strikes as “wholly unprovoked, illegal, and illegitimate,” accusing Trump of turning “America First into Israel First.”
Saudi Arabia took a different stance, condemning Iran’s retaliatory attacks on Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates, describing them as blatant aggression and pledging full solidarity with the affected states.
In Europe, a joint statement by French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged Iran to seek a negotiated solution.
While stressing that they had not participated in the strikes, the three leaders reiterated long-standing concerns over Iran’s nuclear and missile programmes and its regional activities, while calling for diplomacy rather than escalation.
Starmer confirmed that British military assets were active in the region in defensive operations to protect allies and interests.
The European Union also expressed alarm. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas described the situation as “perilous,” stressing the need to protect civilians and uphold international humanitarian law, while Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Rome would consult allies and regional leaders to support de-escalation efforts.
France and Germany separately warned that continued escalation posed grave dangers to international peace and security.
Beyond Europe, Brazil condemned the US and Israeli attacks, expressing “grave concern,” while Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese backed US efforts to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, framing Washington’s actions as a matter of global security.
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk called for restraint and a return to negotiations, warning that civilians inevitably bear the heaviest cost in armed conflicts.
Meanwhile, Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu both used the moment to directly address the Iranian population. Trump urged Iranians to remain sheltered and prepare to take over their government, while Netanyahu called on them to “throw off the yoke of tyranny” and create a “free and peaceful Iran,” framing the military campaign as an opportunity for internal political change.
Taken together, the global reactions reveal a world deeply divided. Some governments see the strikes as a necessary action to prevent nuclear proliferation and contain Iranian power.
Others view them as reckless, illegal, and destabilising, threatening to ignite a broader regional war.
