Qatar says Israel attack on Iran ‘hinders’ diplomatic efforts
Gaza mediator Qatar criticised a wave of Israeli strikes on Iran saying it “hinders” attempts “at de-escalation and reaching diplomatic solutions”.
Qatar “expresses its strong condemnation and denunciation of the Israeli attack,” the Gulf state’s foreign ministry said in a statement reported by the official
Qatar News Agency, adding the “dangerous escalation threatens security and stability of the region and hinders efforts to de-escalate and reach diplomatic solutions”.
** Turkiye urges Israel to halt ‘aggressive actions’ after Iran strikes
Turkiye said Israel must “put an immediate end to its aggressive actions that could lead to further conflicts,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.
Earlier, a top Turkish official condemned Israel’s strikes on Iran, describing them as “barbaric” and unjustifiable aggression, the
Associated Press (AP) said.
Omer Celik, the spokesman for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s governing party also maintained that the action was a diversion tactic, aimed at shifting attention away from international criticism of its actions in Gaza.
“There can be no legitimacy or justification for the Israeli attack. This is barbaric aggression,” Celik said on a X post.
Celik went on to accuse Israel of “hostility” toward diplomatic efforts, noting that the attack took place amid ongoing negotiations between the US and Iran.
The United Arab Emirates condemned “in the strongest terms” Israeli strikes on Iran, urging diplomacy,
AP reports.
The UAE is one of only a handful of Arab countries to recognize Israel, after it signed onto the Abraham Accords in 2020. The ministry of foreign affairs for the federation of seven sheikhdoms “stressed the importance of exercising the utmost self-restraint and judgment” and urged against the conflict’s expansion.
“The Secretary-General condemns any military escalation in the Middle East. He is particularly concerned by Israeli attacks on nuclear installations in Iran while talks between Iran and the United States on the status of Iran’s nuclear programme are underway.
“The Secretary-General asks both sides to show maximum restraint, avoiding at all costs a descent into deeper conflict, a situation that the region can hardly afford.”
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called for all sides to “exercise restraint,” extending support for “any diplomatic efforts towards de-escalation.”
“The situation in the Middle East is dangerous. I urge all parties to exercise restraint and prevent further escalation. Diplomacy remains the best path forward, and I stand ready to support any diplomatic efforts toward de-escalation,” Kallas wrote on X.
"Our top priority is protecting American forces in the region," says Marco Rubio.
www.dawn.com