ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - World leaders and governments on Sunday reacted to the US pre-dawn strikes against three Iranian nuclear sites, with some condemning the move while others calling for de-escalation.
US President Donald Trump early Sunday announced that the US had carried out strikes targeting Iran’s three primary nuclear sites - Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. He later told Fox News that six “bunker-buster” bombs were used against the Fordow plant, which houses Iran’s most advanced centrifuges, while the other two sites were hit with Tomahawk cruise missiles from submarines.
“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. 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,” he said in a televised message.
He thanked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for working with the US as a team and warned Iran in a post on his Truth Social in all caps that any retaliatory actions will be met with “FORCE FAR GREATER THAN WHAT WAS WITNESSED TONIGHT.”
Hours later, several world leaders and governments reacted to the move with mixed messages.
Iran
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on X that US strikes “are outrageous and will have everlasting consequences.”
The US “has committed a grave violation of the UN Charter, international law and the NPT by attacking Iran's peaceful nuclear installations,” he said.
“The events this morning are outrageous and will have everlasting consequences. Each and every member of the UN must be alarmed over this extremely dangerous, lawless and criminal behavior,” added Araghchi.
Iranian foreign minister later said in a lengthy statement that it calls on the UN, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and other international bodies to “take urgent and decisive action in response to this appalling breach of international law.”
IAEA chief Rafael Mariano Grossi said he is convening an emergency meeting of the agency on Monday "in the light of the urgent situation in Iran."
The agency said on X that "no increase in off-site radiation levels has been reported" following US strikes on the three nuclear sites.
It also called on the US Security Council to convene an emergency session “to unequivocally condemn this criminal act of aggression by the United States against Iran and to hold the United States accountable for its egregious violation of the fundamental principles of United Nations Charter and of the norms of international law.”
Israel
Netanyahu was quick to express his joy and appreciation for the US intervention in the Israel-Iran war.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu:
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) June 22, 2025
“President @realDonaldTrump and I often say: ‘Peace through strength.’
First comes strength, then comes peace.
And tonight, @POTUS Trump and the United States acted with a lot of strength.” pic.twitter.com/dqho3CJS1C
“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,” he said in a video message.
He added that Trump’s leadership has “created a pivotal history that can help lead the Middle East and beyond to a future of prosperity and peace.”
UN
“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,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on X.
“There is a growing risk that this conflict could rapidly get out of control – with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region, and the world,” he added.
Guterres also called on the UN's Member States “de-escalate” and noted that “At this perilous hour, it is critical to avoid a spiral of chaos.”
Iraq
The Iraqi government on Sunday condemned the US strikes as a “serious threat” to regional security, calling for dialogue and diplomacy instead of military attacks.
“The Iraqi government expresses its deep concern and condemnation of the targeting of nuclear facilities within the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran. It affirms that this military escalation poses a serious threat to peace and security in the Middle East and seriously endangers regional stability,” government spokesperson Basem al-Awadi said in a statement.
In the statement, Baghdad stressed that “military solutions cannot be a substitute for dialogue and diplomacy, and that the continuation of these attacks would lead to a dangerous escalation with consequences that would extend beyond the borders of any single state.”
Iraq, one of the main allies of Iran in the region, has condemned Israel for its attacks on Iran and illegally using Iraqi airspace to carry out the strikes.
Israel on June 13 launched strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities and assassinated several senior military commanders, triggering counterstrikes from Tehran. The conflict is now in its second week. The escalation abruptly ended indirect nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington.
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry, which had previously condemned Israeli strikes on Iran, said in a carefully written statement that it is following the developments with “deep concern.”
Riyadh, which enjoys strong relations with the Trump administration and has in recent years mended its ties with Tehran, emphasized that Iranian sovereignty should not be violated.
“The Kingdom expresses the need to exert all efforts for restraint, de-escalation, and the avoidance of aggravation. It also calls on the international community to intensify efforts in these sensitive circumstances to reach a political solution that ends the crisis, leading to the opening of a new chapter that ensures security and stability in the region,” read the statement.
European Union
Kaja Kallas, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said on X that “Iran must not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon, as it would be a threat to international security.”
She did not comment on the US strikes, instead urging “all sides to step back, return to the negotiating table and prevent further escalation.”
Kallas also announced that the EU foreign ministers will discuss the situation on Monday.
The EU official along with the foreign ministers of Germany, UK and France met with Araghchi in Geneva as part of Tehran’s nuclear talks with the E3.
She told reporters following the meeting that regional escalation benefits no one. “That’s why we need to keep the discussions with Tehran open.”
UK
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on X that “Iran’s nuclear programme is a grave threat to international security,” adding that the US strikes was a move to “alleviate that threat.”
He also noted that the situation in the Middle East remains “volatile” and called on Tehran to return to talks and seek a diplomatic solution to the crisis.
Others
New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in a statement that the military escalations in the Middle East are “extremely worrying,” urging diplomacy and return to talks.
The Australian government said Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs have been “a threat to international peace and security.” It also called for de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy.
The Mexican foreign ministry said in a statement on X that it “urgently” calls for a diplomatic dialogue in the Middle East.
“Under Mexico’s constitutional principles of foreign policy and our nation’s pacifist convictions, we reiterate our call to de-escalate tensions in the region. Restoring peaceful coexistence among the States in the region remains the highest priority,” read the statement.
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said on X that it condemns US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, saying the move “constitutes a dangerous escalation of the conflict in the Middle East.”
He added that “Aggression seriously violates the UN Charter and international law and plunges humanity into a crisis with irreversible consequences.”
Yvan Gil, Venezuelan foreign minister, also condemned the US pre-dawn strikes on Iranian nuclear strikes.
