Negotiate now, world leaders tell Ayatollah

Leaders from across the world called for calm in the wake of the US’s decision to bomb nuclear facilities in Iran, telling Tehran to open immediate negotiations.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Picture: Getty Images

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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has called on Iran to return to the negotiating table, as leaders from around the world expressed concern about the potential for a broader conflict in the region.

Sir Keir on Sunday night became the most senior ally to speak publicly about the US decision to attack three nuclear facilities in Iran, describing Tehran’s nuclear program as “a grave threat to international security”.

“Iran can never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon and the US has taken action to alleviate that threat,” he said in a post on ­social media platform X.

“The situation in the Middle East remains volatile and stability in the region is a priority.

“We call on Iran to return to the negotiating table and reach a diplomatic solution to end this crisis.”

Leaders from other nations in the Middle East also issued statements on Sunday warning of the risk of the war spilling over.

Oman, which was mediating nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran, strongly condemned US strikes on nuclear sites in Iran. The Gulf sultanate “expresses deep concern, denunciation and condemnation of the escalation resulting from the direct air strikes launched by the US on sites in the Islamic Republic of Iran”, the official Oman News Agency said.

Qatar, host of the biggest US military base in the Middle East, said it feared serious repercussions. The foreign ministry “warns that the current dangerous escalation in the region may lead to catastrophic consequences at both the regional and international levels”, a statement said.

Iraq government spokesman Basim Alawadi said Iraq “expresses its deep concern and strong condemnation of the targeting” of Iran’s nuclear facilities. “This military escalation constitutes a grave threat to peace and security in the Middle East and poses serious risks to regional stability,” he said.

Saudi Arabia expressed “great concern” over the airstrikes.

“The kingdom of Saudi Arabia is following with great concern the developments in the sisterly Islamic Republic of Iran, represented by the targeting of Iranian nuclear facilities by the United States of America,” the Saudi foreign ministry posted on X.

“It expresses the need to exert all efforts to exercise restraint, de-escalate, and avoid escalation,” it added, urging the international community to increase attempts to find a political solution.

Lebanon Prime Minister Nawaf Salam made it clear that his country needed to avoid being caught up in any broader war in the Middle East. “In the face of the dangerous escalation in military operations and the risks of their repercussions for the entire region, it is increasingly important for us to firmly adhere to the supreme ­national interest, which requires avoiding Lebanon’s involvement or being dragged in any way into the ongoing regional confrontation,” he wrote in a post on X.

“Our awareness of our supreme national interest is our most ­potent weapon in these critical ­circumstances.”

UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres said he was “gravely alarmed” about the US strikes.

UN Secretary-general Antonio Guterres speaks during a United Nations Security Council meeting on the Israel-Iran conflict at the UN headquarters in New York on June 20, 2025. Picture: AFP

“This is a dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge – and a direct threat to international peace and security,” he wrote in a statement 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.

“I call on member states to de-escalate and uphold their obligations under the UN charter and other rules of international law. At this perilous hour, it is critical to avoid a spiral of chaos. There is no military solution. The only path forward is diplomacy. The only hope is peace.”

New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters called for “diplomacy and dialogue”.

“Ongoing military action in the Middle East is extremely worrying, and it is critical further escalation is avoided,” he said.

“New Zealand strongly supports efforts towards diplomacy. We urge all parties to return to talks. Diplomacy will deliver a more enduring resolution than further military action.”

New Zealand strongly supports efforts towards diplomacy, says Foreign Minister Winston Peters. Picture: AP

In Asia, both Japan’s Prime Minister and Korea’s President were reportedly due to hold emergency meetings to discuss the US strikes.

In China, a commentary by Chinese state-run media outlet CGTN questioned whether the US was “repeating its Iraq mistake in Iran”.

“History has repeatedly shown that military interventions in the Middle East often produce unintended consequences, including prolonged conflicts and regional destabilization,” it said.