Strong warnings against escalation in the Middle East

On the night of Friday, anonymous sources informed the American media that Israel had carried out an attack on Iran. Neither Israel nor Iran has confirmed this, but state Iranian media reports that drones have been shot down over the city of Isfahan.

– It is absolutely necessary that the region remains stable and that all parties avoid further actions, says the head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen on Friday.

Both Germany, France, Spain and Italy make their own statements with similar messages.

– Everyone must ensure now and in the near future that there will be no further escalation of the war, says German Prime Minister Olaf Scholz, according to the news agency DPA.

– Deeply concerned

Norway’s Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide (Ap) tells NTB that he is deeply concerned regarding developments in the Middle East and the reports that Israel is said to have attacked targets in Iran.

– It is important that this comes across in a diplomatic way. This crisis cannot be solved through new bomb attacks, says Eide, who emphasizes that Norway has issued clear warnings once morest an escalation.

Both France and Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani are calling for de-escalation. Tajani says the G7 countries, which have gathered for a meeting on the island of Capri, are of the same opinion. The G7 consists of the US, UK, Germany, France, Canada and Japan, as well as Italy.

– In light of the reports of attacks on 19 April, we encourage all parties to work to avoid further escalation. The G7 will continue to work towards this goal, says a statement from the countries at the meeting on Capri.

China and Russia

A similar statement comes from China.

– China has noted the relevant reports and is once morest all actions that further escalate tensions, says a spokesperson for the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

At the same time, the Russian authorities say that they have spoken to both Iran and Israel and passed information between them.

– We told the Israelis that Iran does not want escalation, says Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to Russian radio.

The alleged Israeli attack on the night of Friday is believed to be retaliation for Iran’s rocket and drone attacks on Israel last weekend. This, in turn, was retaliation for Israel’s attack on a building associated with Iran’s embassy in Syria on 1 April.

– Repeated attacks

The authorities in Oman, which has acted as a mediator between Iran and the West, condemn what they call an Israeli attack on the Iranian city of Isfahan. Oman also condemns Israel’s “repeated military attacks in the region”, according to a statement from the Omani Foreign Ministry.

Egypt is asking both Israel and Iran to show restraint and not drag the entire region into a conflict. A similar warning comes from Turkey, which is particularly critical of Israel.

– It is becoming increasingly clear that the tension that was first triggered by Israel’s illegal attack on Iran’s embassy in Damascus can lead to a permanent conflict, says a statement from Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.