Iran nuclear programme is a threat for Israel and Europe, says French Foreign Minister
PARIS: Tehran's nuclear programme is a threat for the security of Israel and of Europe and diplomacy is the only way to avoid an escalation in the conflict between Israel and Iran, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Sunday.
'The Iranian nuclear programme is an existentiel threat for the security of Israel and beyond the security of Europe. We always said the best way to prevent that threat, to contain it, remains diplomacy,' Barrot told RTL radio.
Iran missiles kill 10 in Israel in night of mutual attacks
Germany, France and Britain are ready to hold immediate talks with Iran over Tehran's nuclear programme in an effort to de-escalate the situation in the Middle East, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said earlier.
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Express Tribune
31 minutes ago
- Express Tribune
World reacts to strikes as 'dangerous escalation'
London talks follow first public call between Trump and Xi since his return to the White House, held just days earlier. PHOTO: REUTERS The reaction of international community poured in after the United States struck three nuclear sites in Iran on Sunday, with majority of the world leaders condemning the attack and calling for de-escalation. The European Union's top diplomat Kaja Kallas called for de-escalation and a return to negotiations. "I urge all sides to step back, return to the negotiating table and prevent further escalation," Kallas wrote on X, adding that Iran must not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon and that EU foreign ministers would discuss the situation Monday. Russia 'strongly condemned' the bombings, calling them 'irresponsible' and a 'gross violation of international law'. "A dangerous escalation has begun, fraught with further undermining of regional and global security," the Russian foreign ministry added. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the strikes a "dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge". "There is no military solution. The only path forward is diplomacy. The only hope is peace," Guterres said in a statement. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called on Iran to "return to the negotiating table and reach a diplomatic solution to end this crisis". "Iran can never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon and the US has taken action to alleviate that threat," Starmer said on X, adding that "stability in the region is a priority". French President Emmanuel Macron has called a meeting of the country's defence council for Sunday, with his office saying he had spoken with the leaders of Saudi Arabia and Oman on Sunday. France is urging "all parties to exercise restraint to avoid any escalation that could lead to an extension of the conflict", Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot posted on X. China's foreign ministry said it "strongly condemns" the US strikes, warning that they "escalate tensions in the Middle East". "China calls on all parties to the conflict, especially Israel, to cease fire as soon as possible," the ministry said. Pope Leo XIV said after the strikes that "humanity is crying out for peace" and called for an end to all wars. "Each member of the international community has the moral responsibility to end the tragedy of war, before it becomes an irreparable chasm," Leo said during his weekly Angelus prayer at the Vatican. Saudi Arabia expressed "great concern" after the strikes on its neighbour, the "sisterly Islamic Republic of Iran". "The Kingdom underscores the need to exert all possible efforts to exercise restraint, de-escalate tensions, and avoid further escalation," the foreign ministry posted on X. Pakistan, the only nuclear-armed Muslim country and a longtime Washington ally, said the US attacks "violate all norms of international law". "We are gravely concerned at the possible further escalation of tensions in the region," Pakistan's foreign ministry said, adding that Iran had the "right to defend itself under the UN Charter". The Palestinian militant group Hamas condemned the "blatant US aggression against the territory and sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Iran". "This brutal aggression is a dangerous escalation," Hamas said, calling the attack "a flagrant violation of international law, and a direct threat to international peace and security".
Express Tribune
2 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Iran-Israel conflict could impact Pakistan: Masood
Former president of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and senior diplomat Masood Khan has warned that the escalating Iran-Israel conflict could have grave and far-reaching implications for Pakistan's national security and stability. In a series of media interviews, Khan expressed deep concern over the widening scope of hostilities between Iran and Israel, cautioning that a prolonged war could trigger a new wave of refugee influx into Pakistan, similar to the aftermath of the Afghan conflict. "If the war drags on, there is a strong possibility of a mass exodus of Iranian refugees towards Pakistan," he stated, noting that such a scenario would strain Pakistan's resources and social fabric. Khan emphasized that a potentially more dangerous outcome would be the weakening of the Pakistan-Iran border, making it vulnerable to exploitation by anti-state elements. "Groups backed by hostile foreign powers, especially Indiasuch as BLA, BLF, and other proxies — could infiltrate into Pakistan unchecked, posing a serious threat to our internal security," he warned. Touching on the strategic motives behind Israel's military actions, Khan pointed out that Tel Aviv has made targeting Iran's nuclear infrastructure. "Israel has already attacked nuclear facilities in Natanz, Isfahan, Fordow, and other key locations where uranium enrichment and missile programmes are believed to be based," he said. "They claim to have neutralized nearly 40 percent of Iran's air defense systems." Khan asserted that Israel is pressuring the United States to either intervene directly in the conflict or allow Israel to use tactical nuclear weapons against Iran. "Israel is lobbying for the use of bunker-buster bombs or subterranean nuclear strikes that, according to them, would limit radioactive fallout to underground areas," he explained.
Business Recorder
2 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Wall Street Week Ahead: Stocks take a breather as investors assess geopolitics
NEW YORK: Investors will focus on the Israel-Iran conflict and US economic data releases next week to assess the near-term outlook for stocks, as the S&P 500 hovers just below its February highs. The S&P 500 has rebounded sharply from its early-April selloff, as tariff-related tensions have eased. However, the US benchmark index appears to be taking a breather at some 2.7% below its February closing high. The index has gone 27 trading sessions since coming within 5% of its February high but has not yet set a new record. With Israel and Iran trading missiles, escalating threats of a sweeping conflict in the Middle East sent oil prices sharply higher and led to caution in markets. 'We're all waiting on pins and needles to see what happens with the Israel-Iran situation,' said Brian Jacobsen, chief economist at Annex Wealth Management. So far, the oil market has absorbed most of the impact from geopolitical turmoil, with equities relatively stable. Yet stock investors remain concerned that higher oil prices could stoke inflation and upset plans for interest rate cuts from the Federal Reserve. On Wednesday, the Fed held rates steady and policymakers signaled borrowing costs are still likely to fall this year. But they estimated the overall pace of expected future rate cuts would be slower than they saw at their March meeting. They cited expectations that higher inflation would flow from President Donald Trump's tariff plans. 'The question is oil prices and what that does to inflation – which has implications for monetary policy and how long the Fed keeps rates 'meaningfully restrictive',' said Sonu Varghese, global macro strategist at Carson Group. The big near-term risk for equities, investors said, was if the US were to join Israel's bombing campaign against arch-enemy Iran. Trump is keeping the world guessing whether the US would join Israel's bombardment of Iranian nuclear and missile sites, as residents of Iran's capital Tehran streamed out of the city on the sixth day of the air assault. The White House said on Thursday that Trump would decide on US action in the next two weeks. 'If we were to see the US enter the war or further escalation in the attacks between the two countries, that would give the S&P 500 and equity markets more reasons to react negatively,' said Damian McIntyre, head of multi-asset solutions at Federated Hermes in Pittsburgh. On the other hand, a de-escalation in Middle East tensions could prompt a relief rally for stocks. 'If both sides can kind of just slowly de-escalate, that would be positive for equity markets, positive for risk markets,' McIntyre said. 'Markets are taking a bit of a wait-and-see approach here,' he said. Still, any stock market pullbacks due to rising geopolitical tensions are likely to be fleeting, investors said.
