Huge Diplomatic Push For Restraint A Day After Iran Attacks Israel
A day after Iran’s missile attack on Israel, global leaders are calling for restraint as tensions escalate in the Middle East. President Biden emphasised that while Israel has the right to respond, the action should be proportional. Following a G7 call, Biden confirmed the group’s consensus on Israel’s right to defend itself but stressed that their response should avoid broader conflict. He also clarified that he does not support strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites as retaliation.
Iran’s President Pezeshkian, while reiterating that Iran does not seek war, warned that further Israeli aggression would prompt a harsher response. Iran’s recent missile strike, following Israel’s assassination of a Hamas leader in Tehran, was described by the Iranian UN representative as a “necessity” to restore deterrence. Iran maintains its actions were in self-defence, given Israel’s repeated violations of Iranian sovereignty.
In response, Israeli military chief Herzi Halevi confirmed that Israel would retaliate for the missile attack, vowing to target key locations across the Middle East. Meanwhile, US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell expressed concern over the volatile situation, noting that any escalation could endanger both Israeli and American interests. He reaffirmed the US’s commitment to align its response with Israel while cautioning against a prolonged conflict.
The situation has also prompted warnings from the international community. China’s UN ambassador, Fu Cong, urged all parties, particularly Israel, to show restraint and avoid actions that could lead to a broader conflict. Similarly, the G7 leaders remain hopeful that a diplomatic solution is still achievable, stating that a region-wide war is in no one’s interest.
Meanwhile, France has urged its nationals to leave Iran temporarily, a precautionary measure in light of the heightened tensions.
In a statement on Wednesday, Iran’s Ministry of Defense stated that the retaliatory missile attack targeting Israeli military installations on October 1 “represented only a small portion of Iran’s defensive capabilities”.
“Any miscalculation by the criminal Zionist regime and its sponsors will definitely result in Iran employing equipment and weapons that will blow harsher and more painful blows to the worn-out and rotting body of the Zionist regime in the next responses,” the ministry warned.
On Tuesday evening, Iran launched as many as 200 ballistic missiles toward Israeli military and intelligence bases.
As the conflict threatens to spiral further, the focus remains on diplomatic efforts to prevent a broader escalation, with countries such as Qatar playing a mediating role to reach a ceasefire. However, the possibility of de-escalation depends largely on the actions of both Israel and Iran in the coming days.
