The world has condemned US bombing of Iran’s Nuke sites at Natanz, Fordo and Isfahan sites, with Fordo being the primary target, urging de-escalation of the crisis.
Already, several close U.S. allies urged a return to the negotiating table in the wake of American strikes on Iran that fueled fears of a wider conflict, while noting the threat posed by Tehran’s nuclear program.
This was as U.S. President Donald Trump had said Thursday that he would decide within two weeks whether to get involved in Israel’s war with Tehran. In the end, it took just days. Washington hit three Iranian nuclear sites early Sunday.
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While the amount of damage remained unclear, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the U.S. had “crossed a very big red line,” the time for diplomacy was over and Iran had the right to defend itself.
In a new post, US had declared that ‘‘the sites had been obliterated’’ and called for a ‘ regime change, The US called operation “Midnight Hammer” an “overwhelming success.” But, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the United States must “receive a response” to its attacks on nuclear sites in Iran.
The conflict has put renewed focus on security in the Strait of Hormuz, with Iran reportedly considering blocking it after the US strikes on its nuclear sites.
The key waterway lies between Oman and Iran, and connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.
Some have questioned whether a weakened Iran would capitulate or remain defiant and begin striking with allies at U.S. targets scattered across the Gulf region.
Here is a look at reactions from governments and officials around the world.
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United Nations
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said he was “gravely alarmed” by the use of force by the United States.
“There is a growing risk that this conflict could rapidly get out of control — with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region, and the world,” he said in a statement on the social media platform X. “I call on Member States to de-escalate.”
“There is no military solution. The only path forward is diplomacy.”
Greece U.N. Ambassador Evangelos Sekeris, left, addresses a United Nations Security Council meeting at U.N. headquarters on Friday, June 20, 2025, as Secretary General Antonio Guterres looks on.
United Kingdom
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned of escalation beyond the Middle East as he called for all sides to negotiate a diplomatic end to the crisis, saying stability was the priority in the volatile region.
The U.K., along with the European Union, France and Germany, tried unsuccessfully to broker a diplomatic solution in Geneva last week with Iran.
Starmer said Iran’s nuclear program posed a grave threat to global security.
“Iran can never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon and the U.S. has taken action to alleviate that threat,” Starmer said.
Russia
Dmitry Medvedev, who serves as deputy head of President Vladimir Putin’s Security Council, said several countries were prepared to supply Tehran with nuclear weapons.
He didn’t specify which countries, but said the U.S. attack caused minimal damage and would not stop Tehran from pursuing nuclear weapons.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry said it “strongly condemned” the airstrikes and called them a “a gross violation of international law, the U.N. Charter, and U.N. Security Council resolutions.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a plenary session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Friday, June 20, 2025.
Iraq
The Iraqi government condemned the U.S. strikes saying the military escalation created a grave threat to peace and security in the Middle East. It said it poses serious risks to regional stability and called for diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the crisis.
“The continuation of such attacks risks dangerous escalation with consequences that extend beyond the borders of any single state, threatening the security of the entire region and the world,” government spokesman Bassem al-Awadi said in the statement.
Egypt
President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi warned of “grave repercussions” for expanding the Middle East conflict and urged a return to negotiations.
President of Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sissi attends the 34th Arab League summit, in Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, May 17, 2025.
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, which previously condemned Israel’s strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities and military leaders, expressed “deep concern” about the U.S. airstrikes, but stopped short of condemning them.
“The Kingdom underscores the need to exert all possible efforts to exercise restraint, de-escalate tensions, and avoid further escalation,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Qatar
Qatar, which is home to the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East, said it “regrets” escalating tensions in the Israel-Iran war.
Its Foreign Ministry in a statement urged all parties to show restraint and “avoid escalation, which the peoples of the region, burdened by conflicts and their tragic humanitarian repercussions, cannot tolerate.”
Qatar has served as a key mediator in the Israel-Hamas war.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio meets with Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Tuesday, April 22, 2025, at the State Department in Washington.
Hamas and the Houthis
Both the Houthi rebels in Yemen and Hamas condemned the U.S. strikes.
The Houthi political bureau in a statement called on Muslim nations to join “the Jihad and resistance option as one front against the Zionist-American arrogance.”
Hamas and the Houthis are part of Iran’s so-called Axis of Resistance, a collection of pro-Iranian proxies stretching from Yemen to Lebanon that for years gave the Islamic Republic considerable power across the region.
Lebanon
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said the U.S. bombing could lead to a regional conflict that no country could bear and called for negotiations.
“Lebanon, its leadership, parties, and people, are aware today, more than ever before, that it has paid a heavy price for the wars that erupted on its land and in the region,” Aoun said in a statement on X. “It is unwilling to pay more.”
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, left, speaks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during Abbas’s arrival at the Presidential Palace in Baabda, east of Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, May 21, 2025.
Pakistan
Pakistan blasted the U.S. strikes as a “deeply disturbing” escalation just days after it nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for his diplomatic intervention with the India-Pakistan crisis.
“These attacks violate all norms of international law,” the government said in a statement. “Iran has the legitimate right to defend itself under the U.N. Charter.”
China
China condemned U.S. strikes on Iran, calling them a serious violation of international law that further inflamed tensions in the Middle East.
In a statement, the Chinese Foreign Ministry urged all parties — especially Israel — to implement a cease-fire and begin dialogue.
“China is willing to work with the international community to pool efforts together and uphold justice, and contribute to the work for restoring peace and stability in the Middle East,” the ministry said.
Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers his opening speech during the Fourth Ministerial Meeting of the Forum of China and Community of Latin American and Caribbean States in Beijing, Tuesday, May 13, 2025.
European Union
The European Union’s top diplomat said Iran must not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon, but she urged those involved in the conflict to show restraint.
“I urge all sides to step back, return to the negotiating table and prevent further escalation,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said in a post on social media.
Italy
Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Iran’s nuclear facilities “represented a danger for the entire area” but hoped the action could lead to de-escalation in the conflict and negotiations.
Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and France’s President Emmanuel Macron listen as President Donald Trump talks before a group photo at the G7 Summit, Monday, June 16, 2025, in Kananaskis, Canada.
European Council
President Antonio Costa said he was “deeply alarmed” by the bombings and called on all parties to “show restraint and respect for international law and nuclear safety.”
“Too many civilians will once again be the victims of a further escalation,” Costa added. “The EU will continue engaging with the parties and our partners to find a peaceful solution at the negotiating table.”
Ireland
Deputy Prime Minister Simon Harris called the U.S. airstrikes “an extraordinarily dangerous escalation of a conflict that already best be described as a tinderbox.”
Ireland, which has been especially critical of Israel’s war in Gaza, echoed other European calls for negotiations that would prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon.
“We’re now entering a moment of particular danger,” Harris said. “The chances now of a spiral of escalation are more likely than ever before, and there is a real prospect now of the international community losing all control of this very, very volatile conflict.”
Latin America
Left-wing Latin American governments expressed fierce opposition to the U.S. strikes.
Iran-allied Venezuela called the attacks “illegal, unjustifiable and extremely dangerous.” Colombian President Gustavo Petro said they were an insult to the Middle East. Chile’s President Gabriel Boric said they violated “rules we have established as humanity.” Mexico’s Foreign Ministry made “an urgent call for peace.”
In contrast, Argentina’s libertarian President Javier Milei, a loyal ally of Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, praised the attacks on social media. “Terrorism, never again,” his spokesperson said.
Japan
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba told reporters Sunday that it was crucial to calm the situation as soon as possible, adding that the Iranian nuclear weapons development also must be prevented.
Ishiba, asked if he supports the U.S. attacks on Iran, declined to comment.
Pope Leo XIV arrives for his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, June 18, 2025.
The Vatican
Pope Leo XIV made a strong appeal for peace during his Sunday Angelus prayer in St. Peter’s square, calling for international diplomacy to “silence the weapons.”
After an open reference to the “alarming” situation in Iran, the first American pontiff stressed that “today more than ever, humanity cries out and invokes peace and it is a cry that demands reason and must not be stifled.”
Pope Leo urged every member of the international community to take up their moral responsibility to “stop the tragedy of war before it becomes an irreparable abyss.”
