As the U.S. and Israel attack Iran, governments around the world stress risks of new war in the Middle East

U.S. allies and adversaries responded to the joint attacks launched Saturday by the U.S. and Israel on Iran, with some of America’s close partners describing the situation as “grave” and “perilous.”

Below is a look at the latest reaction to the conflict that erupted Saturday between Iran and the U.S. and its closest ally in the Middle East.

European Union

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, called the “developments” in Iran as “greatly concerning.”

She highlighted EU sanctions against Iran’s regime and its Revolutionary Guards, because she said “ensuring nuclear safety and preventing any actions that could further escalate tensions or undermine the global non-proliferation regime is of critical importance.”

But she also said the EU has “consistently promoted diplomatic efforts aimed at addressing the nuclear and ballistic programmes through a negotiated solution.”

“We call on all parties to exercise maximum restraint, to protect civilians, and to fully respect international law,” Von der Leyen said.

Kaja Kallas, the EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, said she has spoken with Israel’s foreign minister, as well as other officials in the region, and that “the EU is also coordinating closely with Arab partners to explore diplomatic paths. Protection of civilians and international humanitarian law is a priority.”

She said a European naval mission in the Red Sea was on high alert and ready to help keep the maritime corridor open.

Russia

Russia condemned the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran.

“Washington and Tel Aviv have once again embarked on a perilous course that is swiftly pushing the region toward a humanitarian, economic, and potentially even radiological disaster,” Russia’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

“The sustained and systematic nature of the destabilising attacks, carried out by the US administration against the fundamental principles of the international legal order in recent months, raises particular concern,” the foreign ministry said. “We call for an immediate return to a political and diplomatic track.”

United Kingdom

A U.K. government spokesperson said: “Iran must never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon and that is why we have continually supported efforts to reach a negotiated solution.”

The U.K. did not participate in the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran, and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer was scheduled to chair an emergency meeting of ministers later in the day, the spokesperson said, adding that Britain was ready to protect its interests in the region, and that “we do not want to see further escalation into a wider regional conflict.”

France

French President Emmanuel Macron said “the outbreak of war between the United States, Israel, and Iran carries grave consequences for international peace and security.”

Macron said France was ready to deploy resources to protect its partners if requested.

“The ongoing escalation is dangerous for all. It must stop. The Iranian regime must understand that it no longer has any option but to engage in good-faith negotiations to end its nuclear and ballistic programs, as well as its actions of regional destabilization. This is absolutely essential to the security of all in the Middle East. The Iranian people must also be able to build their future freely. The massacres perpetrated by the Islamic regime disqualify it and require that the voice be given back to the people. The sooner, the better,” Macron said. 

Canada

Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney said “the Islamic Republic of Iran is the principal source of instability and terror throughout the Middle East, has one of the world’s worst human rights records, and must never be allowed to obtain or develop nuclear weapons.”

Canada “supports the United States acting to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and to prevent its regime from further threatening international peace and security,” Carney said.

Oman

Oman’s foreign minister, Badr Albusaidi, who was asking as a mediator in ongoing negotiations between the U.S. and Iran over its nuclear program, said he was “dismayed.”

“Active and serious negotiations have yet again been undermined,” Albusaidi said. “Neither the interests of the United States nor the cause of global peace are well served by this. And I pray for the innocents who will suffer. I urge the United States not to get sucked in further. This is not your war.”

Kuwait

Kuwait, which is the site of a major U.S. air base targeted by Iran, condemned the “heinous Iranian attack” and said it had the right to defend itself “in response to this brazen aggression, in a manner commensurate with the scale and nature of this violation and in accordance with international law, and to take all necessary measures to protect its territories, its people, and the residents therein, while ensuring the preservation of its sovereignty, security, and stability.”

Qatar

Qatar, home to the U.S.’s largest military base in the Middle East that was also targeted by Iran, said the strikes were “a flagrant violation of its national sovereignty, a direct assault on its security and the safety of its lands, and an unacceptable escalation that threatens the security and stability of the region.”

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasizes that the State of Qatar has been and remains among the first to call for dialogue with the Islamic Republic of Iran, and has advocated for continuing on this principle as the optimal foundation for addressing differences and resolving disputes through peaceful means, thereby sparing the region the risks of escalation,” Qatar’s foreign ministry said in a statement said.

Qatar called for “an immediate halt to any escalatory actions, a return to the table of dialogue, the prioritization of the language of reason and wisdom, and efforts to contain the crisis in a manner that preserves the security of the region, safeguards the interests of its peoples, and prevents slippage toward broader confrontations.”