Several explosions were reported early Friday in central Iran, with senior US officials quoted by the press as saying an Israeli attack was in retaliation for unprecedented drone and missile strikes against Israel last weekend.
The Iranian Tasnim news agency, however, indicated, citing “well-informed sources”, that there was “no information indicating an attack from abroad”.
In still cautious reactions, several countries and international organizations have called for restraint.
No Israeli and American comments
“We have no comment at the moment,” an Israeli army spokesperson told AFP about the explosions.
The White House for its part also did not immediately make an official comment.
But American channels NBC and CNN, citing sources familiar with the matter and a US official respectively, reported that Israel had warned Washington in advance of the strike, without the United States approving the operation. nor participate in its execution.
The Global Affairs Canada team informed me of the explosions that occurred last night in Iran. We are monitoring the situation closely. We will raise the issue with foreign ministers at the G7 session this morning in Italy.
— Mélanie Joly (@melaniejoly) April 19, 2024
United Nations
“We urge all parties to take steps to de-escalate the situation and call on third states, particularly those with influence, to do everything in their power to ensure that there is no “No further deterioration in an already extremely precarious situation,” said the spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Jeremy Laurence.
European Union
“It is absolutely necessary that the region remains stable and that all parties refrain from any further action,” said the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, during a trip to Finland. “We must do everything in our power to ensure that all parties refrain from any escalation in this region.”
G7
The heads of diplomacy of the G7 countries called on Friday “all parties” to “prevent further escalation”.
“In light of the April 19 strikes, we call on all parties to work to prevent further escalation. The G7 will continue to work in this direction,” they said in the final communiqué published at the end of their meeting.
China
“China opposes any action likely to lead to an escalation of tensions and will continue to play a constructive role for a de-escalation,” a spokesperson for Chinese diplomacy, Lin Jian, assured the press.
The Chinese embassy in Iran called on its nationals to take “security precautions” in a statement. »
Russia
“We continue to encourage the parties to exercise restraint and to refrain from any action likely to provoke a further escalation in such a sensitive region,” said Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.
France
“France’s position is to call on all partners in the region to de-escalate and exercise restraint,” declared the French Minister for Europe, Jean-Noël Barrot, on French radio.
United Kingdom
“Significant escalation is in no one’s interest. What we want is for calm to prevail in the region,” British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said at a press conference.
“This is an evolving situation and it would not be correct to speculate until the facts are clarified,” he added.
Germany
“De-escalation must be the message of the moment,” Steffen Hebestreit, spokesman for German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, said at a news conference in Berlin.
Oman
Oman, a Gulf country which has long played mediator between Tehran and the West, condemned Friday in a statement on ‘Israel in the region’.
Egypt
“Egypt reiterates its deep concern over the escalation between Iran and Israel and warns against a regional expansion of the conflict,” said a statement from the Egyptian Foreign Ministry on Friday, assuring “to intensify its contacts with the parties concerned or influential in order to contain the ongoing tensions and escalation.
Australia
Citing a “strong threat of military retaliation and terrorist attacks”, Australia’s Foreign Department urged Australians in Israel and the Palestinian Territories to leave.
IAEA
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) called in a message on