By: Dr Zoe Levornik.
Heads of state, international organizations, and foreign media are reacting to the war in Iran. Alongside numerous condemnations of Israeli aggression and calls to halt the escalation and pursue a diplomatic solution, there have also been expressions of appreciation and admiration for Israel’s capabilities and strength, as well as recognition of Israel’s right to defend itself. In contrast, despite the growing threat from Iran and its defiance of the West, there have been very few condemnations directed at it.
Since the beginning of the war, the United States has expressed unequivocal support for Israel. President Trump praised Israel for an excellent strike and stated that the Iranians had been given the opportunity to reach an agreement but refused. Mike Pompeo also said on Fox News that the world is safer following Israel’s strike. Ellie Cohanim, former Deputy Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism in the first Trump administration, stated on Fox News that the Israeli strike in Iran changed the course of history.
In light of Israel’s achievements and American pressure, it is evident that Europe is increasingly recognizing the “magnitude of the moment” and the fact that, as the German Chancellor put it, “Israel has done a favor to the entire world.” In addition, on Tuesday (June 16), the G7 countries issued a statement supporting Israel and calling Iran a source of instability in the Middle East. It appears that this statement was made as a result of U.S. pressure. At the same time, European countries have called on both sides to show restraint and prevent further escalation.
France’s Foreign Minister also stated that France recognizes Israel’s right to defend itself and noted that Iran’s nuclear program poses a threat. However, at the same time, France blocked the booth of Israeli defense industries at the Paris Air Show as a protest against the war — a move that sparked numerous reactions and accusations, including claims that it was motivated by economic interests aimed at promoting French defense industries.
The rhetoric from the states in the region, as expected, condemned Israel for an illegal strike and for harming regional stability and security. Oman, which is mediating the nuclear talks between Iran and the U.S., stated that the attack was dangerous and irresponsible, and a violation of international law. Egypt, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE issued similar statements. President Erdoğan declared that Israel is setting the Middle East and the world on fire.
Russia and China also condemned the strike, which they claimed was a violation of Iran’s sovereignty, and called for an end to Israeli aggression.
International organizations, too, primarily issued condemnations against Israel and demanded an end to the dangerous escalation. While these organizations stated that Iran must be prevented from obtaining nuclear weapons, they claimed that Israel’s strike undermined diplomatic efforts to reach an agreement and insisted on an immediate return to negotiations. These statements ignored the fact that in recent months, negotiations with Iran have failed, and Iran remained adamant in its position, refusing to discuss halting uranium enrichment or dismantling its nuclear program.
It is important to emphasize — Iran’s goal in the negotiations is not to reach an agreement but rather to buy time that will allow it to advance toward military nuclear capability.
For instance, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for de-escalation in the Middle East and expressed concern that Israel is attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities while negotiations on the matter are ongoing (despite the fact that prior to the strike, negotiations had stalled). He urged both sides to exercise restraint. Similar calls came from NATO and the European Union. Rafael Grossi, head of the IAEA, said that military action endangers the safety of Iran’s nuclear facilities and could lead to disastrous consequences for Iran, the region, and beyond — without addressing Iran’s nuclear violations or the threat its nuclear program poses to the region and the world.
The international media also issued numerous condemnations of what they defined as Israeli aggression, the harm caused to Iranian civilians, and the legitimization of Iran’s retaliatory strikes against Israel — while overlooking Iran’s deliberate and indiscriminate attacks on Israeli population centers and the killing of civilians. The BBC claimed that Israel is dragging the United States into war and cast doubt on Israel’s ability to stop the nuclear program. The Washington Post asserted that Israel’s strikes led to an escalation and Iranian attacks on Israel, and described the extent of the destruction in Iran.
CNN noted that Israel once again demonstrated that it is the most dominant military and intelligence power in the Middle East, but added that it operates without regard for civilian casualties or the diplomatic repercussions of its actions on its allies. They added that while Iran will still try to reach nuclear capability, the clear and humiliating breach by Israeli intelligence significantly lowers the chances of success. Sky News remarked that Iran has never been weaker internally. The Guardian claimed that Trump is unable to restrain Netanyahu, but also expressed admiration for the level of intelligence and military planning of the IDF. An article in The Wall Street Journal stated that Israel accomplished in Iran in a few days what Russia has failed to do in Ukraine for more than three years.
While most of the criticism and pressure is directed at Israel, very few of the international condemnations focus on Iran’s nuclear program, its blatant violations of its commitment not to develop nuclear weapons, and its disregard for the negotiation process. Most of the criticism that portrayed the strike as illegal and claimed Israel is harming civilians ignored the fact that Israel’s attacks are targeted at military and strategic objectives, and that Israel even warns Iranian civilians in advance to evacuate — at the expense of the element of surprise — due to its emphasis on protecting the lives of non-combatants. This stands in stark contrast to Iran, which deliberately targets civilians, launching dozens of ballistic missiles per day at population centers.
While a diplomatic solution is always preferable to war, attempts to stop Iran’s nuclear program through negotiations and sanctions have been ongoing for more than two decades without success. Iran is exploiting the diplomatic process to buy time while accelerating its steps toward military nuclear capability. Israel’s goal is to significantly damage and delay the nuclear program and to exert maximum pressure on Iran to reach a diplomatic agreement that includes effective safeguards and monitoring of its nuclear activities.
