A series of aerial bombardments has been executed by the United States against targets affiliated with Iran in Iraq and Syria, as a reprisal for an assault that resulted in the loss of American lives in Jordan.
A monitoring group reported that 18 individuals, including civilians, had been slain in Syria on Saturday, while Iraq stated that 16 people had been killed on its territory.
In an effort to dissuade the Iran-backed “axis of resistance” from continuing its assault on Gaza, the United States has threatened additional strikes. US President Joe Biden stated in his announcement of the overnight attacks, “Our response commenced today.” It will persist at locations and times of our choosing.”
The world reacted as follows to the United States’ action:
Iran
“The attacks are a clear violation of the United Nations Charter, international law, and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq and Syria,” said Nasser Kanaani, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“Last night’s military assaults on Syria and Iraq, in addition to the United States’ unwavering support for the Zionist regime during four months of relentless and barbaric attacks against the inhabitants of Gaza and the West Bank, as well as military incursions into Yemen that violated the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, constituted yet another audacious move and strategic blunder by the US.” “These actions will only serve to escalate regional tensions and instability further.”
“The attacks serve only to further the objectives of the Zionist regime.” These assaults progressively ensnare the United States government in the region and eclipse the atrocities committed by the Zionist regime in Gaza.
Iraq
The Iraqi government issued the following statement: “This aggressive strike will threaten regional and Iraqi security.” It also denied Washington’s assertion that it coordinated the air assaults with Baghdad, describing them as “false” and “intended to mislead international public opinion.”
The statement from the office of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani stated that the presence of the US-led military coalition in the region “has become a justification for involving Iraq in regional and international conflicts and a reason for threatening security and stability in Iraq.
“The Iraqi government reaffirms its stance against the nation serving as an arena for score-settling,” stated Basim Alwadi, a spokesman for the government.
The Iraqi military spokesman, Yahya Rasool, stated that the attacks “violate Iraqi sovereignty, undermine the Iraqi government’s efforts, and pose a threat that could have catastrophic consequences for Iraq and the region.”
Rasool further stated, “The results will have profound ramifications for the stability and security of Iraq and the neighbouring area.”
Syria
The strikes, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “extremely dangerously escalated the conflict in the Middle East” and “extended Washington’s record of violations against Syria’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the safety of its people, reiterating that it is the primary source of global instability.”
“The region targeted by American attacks in eastern Syria is also where the Syrian Arab Army is engaged in combat with remnants of the Daesh [ISIL] terrorist organisation. This confirms that the United States and its military forces are allied with this organisation and are using any means necessary to revive it in Syria and Iraq,” the military said.
“The predilection for the aggression exhibited by the American occupation forces this morning is to undermine the capabilities of the Syrian Arab Army,”
“However, the Army and its allies do not engage in the fight against terrorism.”
Islamic Resistance in Iraq
The coalition of Israel and the United States that opposed armed groups in Iraq announced the launch of drones at a US base in Erbil, where the groups had “suspended” their attacks earlier this week.
Mahmoud Abdelwahed of Al Jazeera reported from Baghdad that Iraqi groups have also launched missile assaults against the US-occupied al-Tanf military facility in Syria and the Ain al-Assad base in western Iraq.
Hamas
Hamas issued the following statement: “We strongly denounce the United States’ aggression against Iraq and Syria, regarding it as a perilous escalation that violates the sovereignty of the two Arab countries, jeopardises their security, and disrupts the stability of the region. Such actions further the expansionist objectives of the occupation and obscure the atrocities committed against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.”
“The repercussions of this heinous aggression against Iraq and Syria are attributable to the Biden administration, which adds fuel to the fire.” “We affirm that until the Zionist aggression ceases, occupation by the Zionist-Nazis ceases, and genocide and ethnic cleansing against our people in the Gaza Strip ceases, the region will not experience peace or stability.”
Hezbollah
“Hezbollah condemns vehemently the flagrant aggression of the United States against Iraq and Syria. The United States of America has flagrantly violated all international and humanitarian laws, attacked the security and territorial integrity of the two countries, and committed an assault on their sovereignty, according to a statement by the Lebanese organisation.
Russia
“It is evident that the airstrikes are executed with the intention of exacerbating the conflict,” stated Maria Zakharova, a spokesperson for the Russian foreign ministry. “By almost continuously attacking the facilities of purportedly pro-Iranian organisations in Iraq and Syria, the United States is attempting to incite conflict between the two largest nations in the region.”
In response to the U.S. assaults, Russia also convened a “urgent” United Nations Security Council meeting.
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“We have just demanded an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council in response to the threat to peace and safety posed by U.S. strikes on Syria and Iraq,” Dmitry Polyansky, the Russian ambassador to the United Nations, wrote on social media on Saturday.
The European Union
“Everyone should make every effort to prevent the situation from escalating into an explosive one,” advised Josep Borrell, the head of foreign policy for the European Union.
Although Borrell did not explicitly mention the United States strikes, he reiterated his admonition that the Middle East “is a potentially exploding boiler.”
He cited attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, the conflict in Gaza, and the violence along the Israel-Lebanon border, as well as the explosions in Iraq and Syria. “We call everyone in an effort to prevent an escalation for this reason.”
United Kingdom
The U.S. and the U.K. are steadfast allies. “We support their right to respond to attacks, but we would not comment on their operations,” a British government spokesperson said in a statement.
“We have consistently denounced Iran’s destabilising endeavours in the region, which encompass its financial, political, and military assistance to various militant organisations.”
Poland
As he arrived in Brussels for a meeting with his European Union counterparts, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski told reporters, “Iran’s proxies have been experimenting with fire for months and years; it is now burning them.”
