World Leaders Urge Restraint After Israel Attacks Iran

Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at the international response to Israel targeting Iran, parliamentary elections in India, and NATO approving air defense deliveries to Ukraine.

Israel Strikes Iran

International leaders urged calm on Friday after Israel launched retaliatory strikes against Iran. Small drones reportedly targeted locations in the Iranian cities of Isfahan and Tabriz. Isfahan, home to the country’s largest nuclear research complex as well as several military sites, is believed to have been one of several launch sites that Iran used in its attack on Israel last Saturday. Initial reports detailed no significant damage, and the International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed there was no damage to the nuclear complex. Iranian officials said the strike on Tabriz, located roughly 500 miles north of Isfahan, was intercepted by the country’s air defenses.

“It is high time to stop the dangerous cycle of retaliation in the Middle East,” said Stéphane Dujarric, a spokesperson for United Nations chief António Guterres, on Friday. Israel did not comment on the attack or say whether further action might occur. Tehran, for its part, appeared to downplay the attack as a “failed and humiliating” operation. A senior Iranian official told Reuters that the country has no plans to respond, even though Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi previously warned that Tehran would deliver a “severe response” to any attack on its territory.

“We are not out of the woods entirely,” Ali Vaez, the director of the International Crisis Group’s Iran project, told FP’s Amy Mackinnon and Christina Lu. “Both sides can still miscalculate and deliberately or inadvertently cross the nebulous new red lines.”

Israeli officials warned the United States on Thursday that they planned to attack Iran within 24 to 48 hours, Bloomberg reported. However, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Friday that Washington told the G-7 that it was “informed at the last minute,” and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken refused to comment on the timeline, only saying the United States was not involved in any “offensive operations.” A U.S. official told CNN that the Biden administration “didn’t endorse” Israel’s actions.

G-7 foreign ministers, who were gathered for a conference in Italy, urged all parties on Friday to prevent escalation, as did European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. “It is absolutely necessary that the region remains stable and that all sides restrain from further action,” she said, speaking from Finland. The foreign ministers also pushed for a cease-fire in Gaza, the release all Hamas-held hostages, increased aid deliveries to Palestinians, and Israel holding off on its planned operation against the southern Gaza city of Rafah.

Middle Eastern nations also called for restraint. Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi warned against any actions that “threaten dragging the region into war,” Egypt sought the “highest levels” of de-escalation, and Oman urged foreign leaders to “treat the causes and roots” of regional instability by focusing efforts on a “just and lasting solution to the Palestinian cause.” Turkey blamed Israel’s initial April 1 attack on the Iranian consulate in Syria for threatening permanent conflict.

China said it opposed any escalatory actions and would “continue to play a constructive role to de-escalate the situation.” Beijing is Tehran’s top trading partner, and U.S. officials have publicly called on China to use its economic leverage to get Iran to curb its actions. However, as Lu reports, that’s easier said than done.

Today’s Most Read

• Arab Countries Have Israel’s Back—for Their Own Sake by Steven A. Cook
• Can Israel Harness Its Rare Moment of Regional Support? by Amy Mackinnon
• Russia Just Helped Swing a European Election by Paul Hockenos

What We’re Following

New Delhi votes. India kicked off its first wave of parliamentary elections on Friday with more than 960 million voters eligible to cast their ballots—making this the world’s biggest election. Incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is seeking a third five-year term. New Delhi’s multiphase general election will conclude on June 1, with results expected on June 4. The BJP is expected to maintain its majority against the opposition Indian National Congress party.

Since taking office in May 2014, Modi has pushed a Hindu nationalist agenda, advanced infrastructure projects to compete with China, more than tripled internet access, and pursued an assertive foreign policy. “Modi is projecting an image of a more powerful, muscular, prideful nation—and Indians are in thrall to the self-portrait,” FP’s Ravi Agrawal wrote in FP’s Spring print issue. However, rights groups have criticized Modi for centralizing power around the BJP, accusing him of hurting India’s democratic institutions and discriminating against minority groups.

NATO news. NATO agreed to give Ukraine more air defenses in the near future, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said at the NATO-Ukraine Council on Friday. These would likely include Patriot and SAMP/T systems as well as spare parts to maintain weapons already in Ukraine. Nations that can’t supply such air defense systems will provide financial assistance. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday that Kyiv needs at least seven more Patriot systems or similar weaponry in its war against Russia.

On Thursday, Argentina formally requested to join NATO as a “global partner”—a designation below the level of “ally” that is available to countries outside of NATO’s geographical area. Global partners are not required to participate in collective military actions, nor are they covered under NATO’s Article 5 mutual defense clause like full members. However, partnership status offers potential access to advanced technology and other resources that are otherwise unavailable.

Far-right Argentinian President Javier Milei is pursuing the designation in a bid to bolster relations with the West and increase foreign investment. Milei has shifted Buenos Aires’s foreign policy in recent months to a staunchly pro-U.S. position. If all 32 NATO members approve Argentina’s bid, then Buenos Aires would become the second Latin American nation to partner with the alliance, after Colombia. The other partners are Afghanistan (currently suspended), Australia, Iraq, Japan, South Korea, Mongolia, New Zealand, and Pakistan.

Deadly helicopter crash. Kenyan authorities began investigating a helicopter crash on Friday that killed defense chief Gen. Francis Omondi Ogolla and nine other top military officials in a remote area the day before. Two people survived Thursday’s crash, including the pilot. It is unclear what caused the deadly incident. In response, President William Ruto announced three days of mourning. Ogolla, who was appointed head of defense last April, was the first Kenyan military chief to die while in office.

Terrorism in Pakistan. The U.S. consulate in Karachi, Pakistan, warned its citizens on Friday to avoid high-end hotels in the city, citing reports of a possible terrorist attack. It also urged people to avoid crowds and keep a low profile in the coming days.

The alert came the same day that a suicide bomber attempted to attack a vehicle transporting five Japanese nationals. Police apprehended the suspects, and the targets escaped unharmed, though officials said one bystander was killed. No group has claimed responsibility, and there appears to be no evidence linking the U.S. warning with the attempted attack.

What in the World?

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Tuesday that he asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to halt what?

A. Exports of electric vehicles to Europe
B. Support for Russia’s war effort in Ukraine
C. Human rights abuses in Xinjiang province
D. Militant rhetoric toward Taiwan

Odds and Ends

Prince Harry is swapping tea and crumpets for apple pie and fried chicken. The British royal confirmed this week that he is now a U.S. resident, having listed the United States as his primary address. The paperwork signals Harry’s latest rift with the crown after stepping away from royal duties four years ago. It feels a wee bit like Red, White, & Royal Blue—but maybe without the enemies-to-lovers saga.

And the Answer Is…

B. Support for Russia’s war effort in Ukraine

Scholz’s recent trip to China was closely watched, with observers curious whether the chancellor would act in line with the West’s tough approach toward Beijing—or take a softer one, Noah Barkin writes.

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