African Union calls for 'restraint, urgent de-escalation' after US-Israel strike on Iran; Other leaders react
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "African Union calls for 'restraint, urgent de-escalation' after US-Israel strike on Iran; Other leaders react")
United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran. Photograph: (X/@SternDrewCrypto)
After the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran, the African Union appealed for calm, de-escalation and sustained dialogue to prevent the conflicts. In addition, Lebanese PM Nawaf Salam said Beirut would not allow the country to be drawn into war.
The African Union on Saturday appealed for calm after the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran, cautioning that further escalation could have repercussions beyond the region, harming several people, including Africans. The pan-African bloc's chairman, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, called "for restraint, urgent de-escalation and sustained dialogue" to prevent wider conflicts.
"Further escalation risks worsening global instability, with serious implications for energy markets, food security, and economic resilience, particularly in Africa, where conflict and economic pressures remain acute," Mahamoud Ali Youssouf said.
Following the escalating tension in the region, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Beirut would not allow the country to be drawn into war, amid concerns that Iran’s Lebanese proxy Hezbollah could retaliate against Israel following the latest US-Israeli attacks in Iran.
Iran calls it ‘criminal acts’
Meanwhile, Iran’s Interior Ministry denounced the attacks as "criminal acts" that violate international law, stating that the country had once again been targeted during a period of negotiations, according to Tasnim News Agency. The ministry directed provincial governors to adhere to earlier instructions, submit swift updates on local developments, and mobilise all available resources to meet the urgent needs of citizens.
"The attack is described by Israel as a preventive strike, but it is not in line with international law. Preventive attacks require an immediate and imminent threat," Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said.
Trending Stories
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
Republican Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., labelled the attack on Iran an act of war “unauthorised by Congress.” However, Senator John Fetterman, D-Pa, said Trump had been “willing to do what’s right and necessary to produce real peace in the region.” “God bless the United States, our great military, and Israel,” he added.
“God bless @POTUS for planning and now executing Operation Epic Fury, making America more safe and eventually more prosperous,” Senator Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said on X. “My mind is racing with the thought that the murderous ayatollah’s regime in Iran will soon be no more.” Separately, in a post on social media platform X, he added: “God bless President Trump, our military and our allies in Israel.”
Other Global leaders also responded swiftly following strikes on Iran. The United Kingdom said it does not want the conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran to spiral into a “wider regional conflict,” underscoring the need for stability. Australian Prime Minister voiced support for Washington’s actions, stating that Australia backs efforts aimed at preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, according to a report in the AFP.
Meanwhile, European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned that the latest developments across the Middle East are “perilous." In Moscow, former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev sharply criticised Washington, saying the United States had shown its “true face” through the strikes on Iran.
