World leaders react to US attack on Iran
Patrons of the Chapel Street Cafe watch as U.S. President Donald Trump delivers an address to the nation following U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, in Chicago, Illinois, U.S. June 21, 2025. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez
The reaction of world leaders after U.S. forces struck three Iranian nuclear sites on Sunday Iran time ranged from Israel lauding President Donald Trump's decision to the U.N. calling for de-escalation and some countries condemning the attacks.
ISRAEL PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, RECORDED STATEMENT:
"Congratulations, President Trump. Your bold decision to target Iran's nuclear facilities with the awesome and righteous might of the United States will change history... History will record that President Trump acted to deny the world's most dangerous regime the world's most dangerous weapons."
U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTONIO GUTERRES, STATEMENT
"I am gravely alarmed by the use of force by the United States against Iran today. This is a dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge – and a direct threat to international peace and security. There is a growing risk that this conflict could rapidly get out of control – with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region, and the world. I call on Member States to de-escalate and to uphold their obligations under the UN Charter and other rules of international law. At this perilous hour, it is critical to avoid a spiral of chaos. There is no military solution. The only path forward is diplomacy. The only hope is peace."
VENEZUELA FOREIGN MINISTER YVAN GIL, ON TELEGRAM:
"Venezuela Condemns U.S. Military Aggression Against Iran and Demands an Immediate Cessation of Hostilities. The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela firmly and categorically condemns the bombing carried out by the United States military, at the request of the State of Israel, against nuclear facilities in the Islamic Republic of Iran, including the Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan complexes."
MEXICO FOREIGN MINISTRY, ON X:
"The ministry urgently calls for diplomatic dialogue for peace between the parties involved in the Middle East conflict. In keeping with our constitutional principles of foreign policy and our country's pacifist conviction, we reiterate our call to de-escalate tensions in the region. The restoration of peaceful coexistence among the states of the region is the highest priority."
CUBA PRESIDENT MIGUEL DIAZ-CANEL, ON X:
"We strongly condemn the US bombing of Iran's nuclear facilities, which constitutes a dangerous escalation of the conflict in the Middle East. The aggression seriously violates the UN Charter and international law and plunges humanity into a crisis with irreversible consequences." REUTERS
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
International Business Times
an hour ago
- International Business Times
US Drops Six 'Bunker Bombs' on Iran's Highly Secretive Fordow Nuclear Facility as Trump Declares Site Is 'Completely and Totally Obliterated'
The U.S. military dropped six "bunker buster" bombs on Iran's Fordow nuclear enrichment facility on Saturday night, along with strikes on two other key facilities, as President Trump announced that the underground plant, buried nearly 300 feet beneath a mountain, had been "completely and totally obliterated." Trump stunned the world just before 8 p.m. on Saturday by revealing on Truth Social that he had authorized a strike on Iran. The operation involved deploying six powerful 30,000-pound "bunker buster" bombs along with 30 Tomahawk missiles, targeting the nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. Trump's decision to join Israel to dismantle Iran's nuclear program comes nine days after Israel first attacked. Iran Bombed by Trump's Bombers "We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. All planes are now outside of Iran air space," Trump posted on Truth Social, marking the first-ever US strike on Iranian territory. "A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home. Congratulations to our great American Warriors. There is not another military in the World that could have done this. NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE! Thank you for your attention to this matter." At 10 p.m. on Saturday, the president addressed the nation from the White House, saying that the mission that "our objective was the destruction of Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity and a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world's number one state sponsor of terror." "Tonight, I can report to the world that the strikes were a spectacular military success," Trump said, flanked by Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. "Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated. Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace. If they do not, future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier." Trump went on to say that "for 40 years, Iran has been saying, 'Death to America, Death to Israel.' They have been killing our people, blowing off their arms, blowing off their legs with roadside bombs — that was their specialty. "We lost over 1,000 people and hundreds of thousands throughout the Middle East and around the world have died as a direct result of their hate." US Worked in Coordination with Israel Trump said that he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "worked as a team, like perhaps no team has ever worked before," in their efforts to dismantle Iran's nuclear program. The president said that time is running out for the Islamic Republic and warned that there would be severe repercussions if a peaceful resolution is not reached. "There are many targets left. Tonight's was the most difficult of them all, by far, and perhaps the most lethal," he said. "But if peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill." In an interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity shortly after the strikes, Trump revealed that B-2 bombers had dropped six 30,000-pound "bunker buster" bombs on the Fordow site, while 30 Tomahawk missiles fired from U.S. submarines targeted the Natanz and Esfahan facilities — both of which had already suffered major damage from earlier Israeli attacks. These three locations, located south of Tehran, were key components of Iran's nuclear infrastructure. The country's hardline, anti-U.S. leadership had openly claimed the program was intended for generating electricity, despite widespread concerns it was actually aimed at developing nuclear weapons. Trump had appeared indecisive about joining Israel's air offensive, telling reporters Thursday that he would make a final decision "within the next two weeks." Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned on Wednesday that any U.S. attacks on the Islamic Republic would "irreparable damage for them," although Tehran did not reveal specific details about its plans for retaliation. Prior to the assault, Trump held discussions with Netanyahu, whose air force has effectively gained dominance over Iran's skies. "Congratulations President Trump, your bold decision to target Iran's nuclear facilities with the awesome and righteous might of the United States will change history," Netanyahu said in a video statement. Trump had sought a deal with Iran to abandon its nuclear program, assigning his Middle East special envoy, Steve Witkoff, to lead five rounds of high-level direct negotiations with Iranian officials starting in April. However, Tehran rejected the proposed deal and refused to meet Trump's additional disarmament demands following the launch of Israeli airstrikes on June 13.
International Business Times
an hour ago
- International Business Times
What Are Bunker Busters? 15-Ton GBU-57A/B Bomb that Cost $500 Is the Only Weapon that Could Destroy Fordow Nuclear Facility
A 15-ton "bunker buster" bomb was likely needed to destroy Iran's final remaining nuclear facility — a weapon only the United States possesses. The extremely powerful weapon is the largest conventional (non-nuclear) bomb in the U.S. military's arsenal. The bomb was necessary because the target — the Fordow uranium enrichment plant — is buried roughly 300 feet deep within a mountain near the city of Qom, about two hours south of Tehran. The bomb, known as the GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator, was developed by Boeing specifically for use by the U.S. Air Force. The United States dropped six such "bunker bombs" which Trump said, "completely and totally obliterated" the highly secretive nuclear facility. Only in US Arsenal Due to its massive weight, the bomb can only be deployed by a B-2 Spirit stealth bomber — an advanced aircraft that is not part of Israel's air force arsenal. "The United States controls the bomber and the bomb," John Spencer, chair of urban warfare studies at the Modern War Institute at West Point military academy, recently told The New York Post. The missile cost the U.S. Army more than $500 million to develop and was specifically engineered to burrow deep into the Fordow facility to destroy its nuclear centrifuges, according to a 2013 report by The Wall Street Journal. At the time, the report noted that 20 of these bombs had been produced for the U.S. military. Another variant of a "bunker buster" is the GBU-37, which weighs 5,000 pounds. While the U.S. has provided Israel with less powerful bunker-busting munitions, it has refused to share the Massive Ordnance Penetrator with any allied nation. "I've seen 500-pounders, and they'll shake your teeth when they go off. It's like an earthquake," said Spencer. "This will be much more than that." Trump Bombers Do the Talking Trump stunned the world just before 8 p.m. on Saturday by revealing on Truth Social that he had authorized a strike on Iran. "We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. All planes are now outside of Iran air space," Trump posted on Truth Social, marking the first-ever US strike on Iranian territory. "A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home. Congratulations to our great American Warriors. There is not another military in the World that could have done this. NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE! Thank you for your attention to this matter." At 10 p.m. on Saturday, the president addressed the nation from the White House, saying that the mission that "our objective was the destruction of Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity and a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world's number one state sponsor of terror." "Tonight, I can report to the world that the strikes were a spectacular military success," Trump said, flanked by Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. "Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated. Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace. If they do not, future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier." Trump went on to say that "for 40 years, Iran has been saying, 'Death to America, Death to Israel.' They have been killing our people, blowing off their arms, blowing off their legs with roadside bombs — that was their specialty. Trump said he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "worked as a team, like perhaps no team has ever worked before," in their efforts to dismantle Iran's nuclear program.
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Bahrain, Kuwait prepare for possible Iran conflict spread
FILE PHOTO: A general downtown view is seen with heat haze over the skyline during the afternoon hours in Manama, Bahrain, August 2, 2023. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed/File Photo DUBAI - Bahrain and Kuwait, home to U.S. bases, made preparations on Sunday for the possibility the Iran conflict might spread to their territory, with Bahrain urging drivers to avoid main roads and Kuwait establishing shelters in a ministries complex after U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities. U.S. forces struck Iran's three main nuclear sites late on Saturday, and President Donald Trump warned Tehran it would face more devastating attacks if it does not agree to peace. Tehran had previously warned if it was attacked by the United States, it could target American assets in the region, including U.S. military bases. Bahrain is home to the headquarters of the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet and there are several U.S. bases in Kuwait. "In light of recent developments in the regional security situation, we urge citizens and residents to use main roads only when necessary, to maintain public safety and to allow the relevant authorities to use the roads efficiently," Bahrain's interior ministry said in a post on X. Bahrain also told 70% of government employees to work from home on Sunday until further notice, citing escalating tensions, according the Civil Service Bureau. Kuwait set up shelters in the country's ministries complex, an extensive compound of buildings that houses several government departments, including the ministries of justice and finance, the finance ministry said. Bahraini authorities earlier this week said they had activated a national plan and a national civil emergency centre to prepare in case of emergencies and proceeded to test warning sirens across the country. Regional media also reported the country had set up 33 shelters. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
