China expresses 'deep concern' as world reacts to Iranian strikes on Israel

China expresses 'deep concern' as world reacts to Iranian strikes on Israel
by AFP Staff Writers
Beijing (AFP) April 14, 2024

Beijing expressed "deep concern" on Sunday over Iran's missile and drone attack on Israel, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said.

"China expresses deep concern over the current escalation and calls on relevant parties to exercise calm and restraint to prevent further escalations," the unnamed spokesman said.

Iran on Saturday launched more than 200 drones and missiles at Israel in an unprecedented attack, the Israeli army announced, in a major escalation of the long-running covert war between the regional foes.

Tehran had repeatedly threatened to strike Israel in retaliation for a deadly April 1 air strike on its Damascus consular annexe and Washington had warned repeatedly in recent days that the reprisals were imminent.

"China calls on the international community, especially countries with influence, to play a constructive role for the peace and stability of the region," the foreign ministry spokesman said.

Beijing's embassy in Tehran earlier advised Chinese nationals to "strengthen safety precautions" over the "local situation in Iran becoming more severe and complex".

Thousands gather in Iran in show of support for attack on Israel
Tehran (AFP) April 14, 2024 - Thousands of Iranians took to the streets of Iran early Sunday in a show of support for the unprecedented drone and missile attack under way against arch foe Israel.

"Death to Israel!" and "Death to America!" chanted demonstrators in Tehran's Palestine Square shortly after the Revolutionary Guards announced the launch of Operation Honest Promise.

A mural saying "the next slap is fiercer" was unveiled in the square where a huge banner has hung for days calling, in Hebrew, for Israelis to "take shelter".

On Sunday, demonstrators waved Iranian and Palestinian national flags alongside banners reading "God's victory is near".

Iran's attack came in retaliation for an April 1 strike that levelled the five-storey consular annexe of the Iranian embassy in Damascus and killed seven Revolutionary Guards, two of them generals.

Tehran has since vowed to avenge the strike which was widely blamed on Israel.

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei pledged that the "evil (Israeli) regime will be punished".

- 'Self-defence' -

Iranian media described the attack on Israel as "complex" as it also involved Iranian allies in Yemen, Lebanon and Iraq.

"This attack did not come from Iran only, and this regime (Israel) is being punished from four directions," the Tasnim news agency said.

A large crowd of demonstrators gathered outside the British embassy in Tehran.

Supporters of the retaliatory attack also demonstrated in Iran's third largest city Isfahan where Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, one of the generals killed in the Damascus strike, is buried.

Demonstrators also gathered near the grave in the southern city of Kerman of prominent Guards commander Qasem Soleimani, who was killed in a 2020 US drone strike in Baghdad.

Tehran had earlier appealed to Washington to keep out of its conflict with Israel but Iranian hopes were dashed after a Pentagon official confirmed that US forces were shooting down Israel-bound drones.

Iran insists it acted in "self-defence" after the targeting of its diplomatic mission in Damascus. It said it hoped its action would prompt no further escalation and "the matter can be deemed concluded."

- War fears -

The latest developments took place against the backdrop of the Gaza war which began with Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel which killed 1,170 people, mostly civilians.

Tehran backs Hamas but has denied any direct involvement in its attack on Israel.

Israel's retaliatory offensive against Hamas has killed at least 33,686 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry.

Iran does not recognise Israel, and the two countries have fought a shadow war for years.

Anticipation of conflict with Israel had gripped Iran ever since the April 1 strike on its consulate.

"It is better to reach a compromise so that the war does not begin, and innocent people don't die," said Maryam, a 43-year-old private sector worker.

"God willing, our government will favour reason over emotion," said Salehi, a 75-year-old retired government employee in central Tehran.

Ehsan, a 43-year-old university professor, said it was "logical" to retaliate.

"War is always bad and worrying -- a person who has experienced war would never support it, but sometimes to achieve peace, a war is necessary," he added.

World reactions to Iran strikes on Israel
Paris (AFP) April 14, 2024 - Countries around the world condemned Iran's strikes on Israel late Saturday, warning the attack threatened to further destabilise the Middle East.

Here are some of the main reactions so far:

- United States -

US President Joe Biden promised "ironclad" support for Israel after holding an urgent meeting with top security officials.

"I just met with my national security team for an update on Iran's attacks against Israel. Our commitment to Israel's security against threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad," Biden said on X, posting a picture of the meeting in the White House Situation Room.

- Britain -

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in a statement condemned the "reckless" strikes, which he said "risk inflaming tensions and destabilising the region. Iran has once again demonstrated that it is intent on sowing chaos in its own backyard."

- European Union -

The European Union's foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell condemned the strikes as "an unprecedented escalation and a grave threat to regional security" in a message on X.

- United Nations -

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned "the serious escalation represented by the large-scale attack launched on Israel by the Islamic Republic of Iran".

"I am deeply alarmed about the very real danger of a devastating region-wide escalation," he added, calling on parties to "avoid any action that could lead to major military confrontations on multiple fronts in the Middle East".

- Egypt -

Cairo's foreign ministry expressed its "deep concern" at the escalation of hostilities and called for "maximum restraint".

The ministry's statement also warned of the "risk of the regional expansion of the conflict", and added that Egypt would be "in direct contact with all parties to the conflict to try and contain the situation".

- Saudi Arabia -

The Saudi foreign ministry issued a statement voicing its concern at the "military escalation" and calling on "all parties to exercise utmost restraint and spare the region and its peoples from the dangers of war".

It went on to urge the UN Security Council "to assume its responsibility towards maintaining international peace and security".

- China -

China's foreign ministry also urged restraint, characterising the attack as "the latest spillover of the Gaza conflict" and calling for the implementation of a recent UN Security Council resolution demanding a ceasefire there, saying the "conflict must end now".

"China calls on the international community, especially countries with influence, to play a constructive role for the peace and stability of the region," it added.

- France -

France's Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne on X said that "in deciding to take this unprecedented action, Iran has reached a new level in its acts of destabilisation and is risking a military escalation".

- Germany -

Berlin's top diplomat also warned the attack would have a destabilising effect, and urged Tehran to halt the strikes.

"We condemn the ongoing attack -- which could plunge an entire region into chaos -- in the strongest possible terms," Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on X.

"Iran and its proxies must stop this immediately," she continued, adding that Berlin stands "firmly by Israel".

- Canada -

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters in Ottawa that his country "unequivocally condemns Iran's airborne attacks", adding: "We stand with Israel."

"After supporting Hamas' brutal October 7 attack, the Iranian regime's latest actions will further destabilise the region and make lasting peace more difficult," he added.

- Argentina -

The office of Argentine President Javier Milei expressed in a statement its "solidarity and unwavering commitment" to Israel in the face of the attacks.

It added that Argentina "emphatically supports the State of Israel in the defence of its sovereignty, especially against regimes that promote terror", noting an Argentine court recently held Iran responsible for bomb attacks on the Israeli embassy and a Jewish community centre in Buenos Aires in the 1990s.