The Israeli military launched attacks on military bases in Iran, hitting about 20 locations over several hours in Ilam, Khuzestan and Tehran.

Iran confirmed that the attacks on Saturday targeted military bases but resulted in only “limited damage”, the barrage marking an escalation of ongoing tensions between the two countries.

The Israeli army announced that the operation had ended, and military spokesman Daniel Hagari said that if Iran retaliates, Israel will be “obliged to respond”.

Iran’s Air Defense Headquarters said the “aggressive action was successfully stopped and countered by the country’s integrated air defense system”.

Here are some world reactions:

USA

“We call on Iran to cease its attacks on Israel so that this cycle of fighting can end without further escalation,” Sean Savett, a spokesman for the US National Security Council, told reporters.

“Their response was an exercise in self-defense and specifically avoided populated areas and focused solely on military targets, in contrast to Iran’s attack on Israel which targeted Israel’s most populous city,” he added.

He stressed that the US was not participating in the operation, saying “it is our goal to speed up diplomacy and reduce tensions in the Middle East region”.

A senior White House official said the Biden administration believed the Israeli operation should “shut down” direct military exchanges between Israel and Iran. US President Joe Biden was updated as the Israeli operation developed and as the attacks were carried out by the Israelis, the official said.

Pentagon spokesman Patrick Ryder wrote on X that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant and “reaffirmed America’s iron-clad commitment to Israel’s security and right to self-defense.”

Saudi Arabia

The Foreign Office condemned the military targeting Iran as a “violation of its sovereignty” and international law, and called on all parties to “exercise utmost restraint and de-escalate”.

The ministry said in a statement, “The Kingdom reaffirms its firm position in its rejection of the continued escalation in the region and the expansion of the conflict that threatens the security and stability of the countries and peoples of the region.”

In recent months, relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran have improved with high-level meetings between officials from both sides.

In 2023, the two countries agreed to re-establish diplomatic relations and reopen their embassies in an agreement reached in China.

UK

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Iran should not respond to a wave of Israeli attacks and urged restraint from all sides.

“I am clear that Israel has the right to defend itself against Iranian aggression. I am equally clear that we must avoid further regional escalation and call on all sides to show restraint. Iran should not respond,” he told a press conference in Samoa. where he has participated in a leadership meeting in the Commonwealth.

Pakistan

The Israeli military attacks “against Iran’s sovereignty and territorial integrity” are a serious violation of the UN Charter and international law, the Foreign Ministry said.

The attacks “undermine the path to regional peace and stability and also constitute a dangerous escalation in an already volatile region,” the ministry’s statement said, adding that “Israel bears full responsibility for the current cycle of escalation and expansion of the conflict in the region.” .

It also called on the UN Security Council “to play its role in maintaining international peace and security and to take immediate action to end Israeli recklessness in the region and its criminal behavior”.

United Arab Emirates

The Gulf nation condemned the military targeting by Iran and stressed the importance of exercising “maximum restraint” to avoid escalation.

Malaysia

The Foreign Ministry called the Israeli attacks a “flagrant violation of international law” that “seriously undermines regional security”.

It also said that “Malaysia demands an immediate cessation of hostilities and an end to the cycle of violence”.

Israel’s continued attacks on countries in the Middle East continue to bring the region closer to the brink of a wider war, the ministry’s statement added.