Echoing the Trump administration, major European powers have supported Tel Aviv’s bombing campaign
by Will Porter*
Jun 13, 2025
Top officials from countries across Asia have denounced Israel’s attack on Iran – among them Russia, China, Japan, Iraq, Oman, and Saudi Arabia – with many slamming the assault as an act of aggression and a severe breach of international law.
During a regular press briefing on Friday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian warned that the Israeli strikes could have “grave consequences” for the region, adding that Beijing “opposes actions that violate Iran’s sovereignty, security and territorial integrity,” as well as “moves that escalate tensions and enlarge conflicts.”
Russia’s Foreign Ministry condemned the Israeli attack in even harsher terms, deeming it a “violation of the Charter of the United Nations and international law.”
“Unprovoked military strikes against a sovereign UN member state, its citizens, sleeping peaceful cities, [and] nuclear energy infrastructure facilities are categorically unacceptable. The international community cannot afford to be indifferent to such atrocities that destroy peace and damage regional and international security,” the ministry said in a statement.
Moscow went on to accuse Western powers of stoking “anti-Iranian hysteria” within the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN’s nuclear watchdog, and said Tel Aviv’s actions were “particularly cynical” given recent nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington.
Iranian and American delegations were set to meet again in Oman on Sunday to continue those negotiations, but the talks appear to have been postponed indefinitely, according to Iranian and Omani state media.
Oman’s top diplomat also slammed the Israeli strikes as “illegal, unjustifiable and a grave threat to regional stability,” urging other nations to “reject Israeli aggression and support de-escalation.”
Saudi Arabia, a longtime rival of Tehran, said much the same early on Friday morning, voicing “strong condemnation” of “blatant Israeli aggressions against the brotherly Islamic Republic of Iran.”
Riyadh’s neighbor to the north, Iraq, later filed a complaint with the United Nations and accused Israel of violating Iraqi airspace during the strikes. Baghdad called on the Security Council to “uphold its legal and moral responsibilities” and “use its authority to deter the Israeli entity from repeating such violations.”
Beyond the Middle East, the Japanese government “strongly” condemned the Israeli air raids as “totally intolerable,” while South Korea expressed similar concerns.
Some European states have been much less critical of Tel Aviv, with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul declaring that Israel has a “right to defend its existence” while claiming Tehran’s nuclear program “poses a threat to the entire region.”
Iran has long insisted that its nuclear energy program has no military dimension, a conclusion repeatedly supported over the years by the IAEA and even US intelligence agencies. On Thursday, however, the UN watchdog raised concerns about Iran’s compliance with the Non-Proliferation Treaty, as the country has expanded its uranium enrichment capabilities since Washington unilaterally withdrew from a previous nuclear deal in 2018.
French President Emmanuel Macron took a similar stance as Berlin on Friday, suggesting Israel’s attack on Iran was an act of self-defense, though still called for “restraint” in order to “avoid jeopardizing the stability of the entire region.”
Those statements were more in line with reactions from top US officials, who have praised the Israeli operations, even while maintaining there was no US involvement. Earlier on Friday, President Donald Trump described the strikes as “excellent,” and went on to warn of further bombing by Tel Aviv.
“We gave [Iran] a chance and they didn’t take it. They got hit hard, very hard. They got hit about as hard as you’re going to get hit. And there’s more to come. A lot more,” Trump told ABC News.
*Will Porter is assistant news editor and book editor at the Libertarian Institute, and a regular contributor at Antiwar.com. Find more of his work at Consortium News and ZeroHedge.
We remind our readers that publication of articles on our site does not mean that we agree with what is written. Our policy is to publish anything which we consider of interest, so as to assist our readers in forming their opinions. Sometimes we even publish articles with which we totally disagree, since we believe it is important for our readers to be informed on as wide a spectrum of views as possible.
