The world reacts to Trump's attack on Iran: who applauds him and who condemns him?

BarcelonaThe decisive joint military operation by the United States and Israel against Iran, which has once again plunged the Middle East into extreme uncertainty, has been met with a response from the ayatollahs' regime in the form of dozens of missiles fired at Israeli territory and US bases in the region. The world is watching the unfolding events closely. From a diplomatic standpoint, the degree of forcefulness of the reactions varies, although there is widespread concern about the danger of the situation worsening throughout this part of the world.

Among the most forceful is Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi, who has expressed his "dismay." Albusaidi acted as a mediator and intermediary in the indirect negotiations between the two countries to try to reach an agreement on Iran's nuclear program. The last round of talks was on Thursday, and the Omani diplomat He then asserted that there had been "significant progress"“I am dismayed. Active and serious negotiations have, once again, been undermined,” he wrote in X. “Neither the interests of the United States nor the cause of world peace are served,” he lamented. And he called on the US to halt its military operations in the region: “I urge the United States not to be drawn in any further. This is not its war.”

Russia, one of Iran's main allies, also condemned the attack, asserting that it was "a planned and unprovoked act of aggression against a sovereign and independent state," carried out during the renewed negotiation process. The Qatari government has called for an "immediate halt" to all military operations to return to the negotiating table and dialogue. This comes despite the fact that its country suffered an Iranian attack, which it described as a "flagrant violation of its sovereignty and airspace," international law, and the UN Charter. Saudi Arabia, for its part, only condemned the "brutal" Iranian aggression against the Persian Gulf countries that host US bases, while making no mention of the bombings by Israel and its ally, the US.

One of the strongest voices in favor of the operation has been Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney: "Canada supports the US action to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and to stop its regime from continuing to threaten international peace and security."

European Union leaders have also issued a rather lukewarm response against the United States. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called for respect for international law, but did not condemn the operation, which constitutes an attack on this international law. In a statement, she said the situation in Iran is "very worrying" and urged all parties to "exercise maximum restraint" and protect civilians, while assuring that the EU is in close contact with its partners in the region. He also stressed that ensuring nuclear security and "preventing any action that could further increase tensions or harm the global non-proliferation regime" is of "vital importance," which appears to lend credence to Donald Trump's argument for justifying the bombing: that Iran must be prevented from developing nuclear weapons. The EU High Representative, Kaja Kallas, echoed this sentiment: "The Iranian regime has killed thousands of people. Its ballistic missile and nuclear programs, along with its support for terrorist groups, pose a grave threat to global security." Sánchez rejects "unilateral military action"

One of the most critical European leaders was Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who condemned the "unilateral military action" by the United States and Israel against Iran, which he considered an escalation that "contributes to a more uncertain and hostile international order." He added that Spain also rejects the actions of the Iranian regime and the Revolutionary Guard. "We cannot afford another prolonged and devastating war in the Middle East. We demand immediate de-escalation and full respect for international law," he said in a post on X, where he called for a resumption of dialogue to find a peaceful solution.

Other European leaders echoed these sentiments, including Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who also criticized the US for operating "largely outside the bounds of traditional international law." Meanwhile, the leaders of France, Germany, and the UK issued a joint statement condemning Iran's attack in response to the US-Israeli operation. "We condemn the Iranian attacks on countries in the region in the strongest terms," ​​wrote Emmanuel Macron, Friedrich Merz, and Keir Starmer, who called for a resumption of negotiations and urged Iranian leaders to seek a negotiated solution. "Ultimately, the Iranian people must be allowed to determine their own future," they concluded. The Shah's son speaks of "humanitarian intervention"

In the speech announcing the operation, Donald Trump called on Iranians to rise up against the regime, arguing that the US is offering them a historic opportunity to do so. Reza Pahlavi is the one taking advantage of this.the son of the last Shah of IranPahlavi, who applauded the military operation and called it a "humanitarian intervention," is the Iranian president. His father was the king of the country who was deposed in the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Since mass protests began in Iran in January, Pahlavi, who lives in the United States, has vowed to return to his country and lead political change. "The aid that the President of the United States promised to the brave Iranian people has now arrived. This is a humanitarian intervention, and its target is the Islamic Republic, its repressive apparatus, and its extermination machinery; not the great country and nation of Iran," Pahlavi said. He advised Iranians to stay home "for now" but to be prepared to return to the streets "for final action at the opportune moment." He also called on the Iranian military to turn their backs on Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and defend the people.

Concern for civilians

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has condemned the US and Israeli attacks on Iranian territory, as well as Iran's retaliatory actions, and lamented that "in any armed conflict, it is civilians who ultimately pay the highest price." "Bombs and missiles are not the way to resolve differences; they only cause death, destruction, and human suffering," he warned in a message to X.

The president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Mirjana Spoljaric, also warned of the "potential" consequences. "Respecting the rules of war is an obligation, not a choice," he stressed, adding that civilian infrastructure such as hospitals, homes, and schools "must be kept out of the attacks," despite Iran's claim that a bombing of a primary school in the south of the country killed at least five people. The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), a coalition of NGOs that won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2017, warned that the attacks are "utterly irresponsible" and could increase the risk of nuclear proliferation.