Sun Oct 27 13:12:36 UTC 2024: ## Israel Strikes Iranian Military Sites, Prompting Global Calls for De-escalation
**TEL AVIV, October 26, 2024:** Israel launched a series of retaliatory airstrikes on military targets across Iran on Saturday, sparking international condemnation and calls for de-escalation. The strikes, carried out in response to a missile barrage earlier this month, targeted military bases, missile sites, and other Iranian military infrastructure. Iran confirmed two soldiers were killed in the attacks.
The US, UK, and the European Union all condemned the strikes, urging both Israel and Iran to exercise restraint and de-escalate the situation. US National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett emphasized that the US did not participate in the Israeli operation and stressed that the strikes were a defensive measure, specifically targeting military sites and avoiding civilian areas.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer echoed the calls for de-escalation, stating that Iran should not retaliate against Israel, while acknowledging Israel’s right to defend itself. The European Union similarly cautioned against a “dangerous cycle of attacks and retaliations” that could lead to a full-scale regional war.
Russia also joined the chorus of international voices urging restraint, warning of a “catastrophic scenario” if the escalating conflict was not brought under control.
Several Muslim-majority countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Turkey, and Pakistan, condemned the Israeli strikes. They criticized Israel’s actions as violations of international law and sovereignty, and accused Israel of escalating tensions in the region.
Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, which is at war with Israel in Gaza and backed by Iran, denounced the strikes as a “blatant violation of Iranian sovereignty.”
Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz also urged Iran to refrain from escalating the conflict, warning that “massive escalating reactions must not continue.”
The Algerian and Tunisian foreign ministries condemned the strikes as “heinous aggression” and called on the international community to intervene and prevent further escalation.
First Piper 