Israel’s strike on Iran prompts international calls for restraint
Israel’s targeted attacks on Iranian nuclear and military sites late Thursday have triggered global concern over a dangerous escalation in the Middle East. NATO secretary general Mark Rutte and Belgian foreign minister Maxime Prévot are urging de-escalation, while analysts warn the region has entered its most volatile phase since the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023.
"This is clearly a rapidly evolving situation. And it is a unilateral action by Israel," Rutte said during a meeting with Swedish prime minister Ulf Kristersson. "It is now crucial for many NATO countries, including the US, to work on de-escalation at this very moment. And I know they are doing that."
Kristersson expressed regret over the Israeli strikes, saying the already tense region "could escalate, that is obvious. But it could also de-escalate."
Iranian targets in Israeli operation
The Israeli operation, which included a barrage of 200 fighter jets targeting Iranian facilities, including the uranium enrichment site in Natanz, killed top military officials such as Iranian chief of staff Mohammad Bagheri and revolutionary guard commander Hossein Salami. Iran responded by launching over 100 drones toward Israel.
Israel, Iran and the US
Middle East expert Koert Debeuf (VUB) called it “by far the biggest escalation” since the 7 October Hamas attack on Israel. He said Iran would feel compelled to respond while seeking to avoid triggering direct US involvement. “It very clearly shows Iranian weakness and that Iran is not capable of waging war today,” he added. “Iran will not let this happen. But Iran does not want a real war with the United States either, so it will probably think twice about how to respond.”
Debeuf pointed to multiple factors behind the Israeli strike: an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report criticising Iran’s lack of transparency, impending nuclear negotiations between the US and Iran and domestic pressure on Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“That is why it was necessary to take action now, which will change everything,” Debeuf said, noting that Israel has long tried to provoke wider confrontation by targeting Hezbollah and Iranian positions, but the US under Trump has been reluctant to be drawn in. “That is Netanyahu's calculation. He does what he feels like because he knows that if it really becomes important, the United States will come to his aid."
Belgian calls for diplomacy
Prévot (Les Engagés) echoed NATO’s concern. “The Israeli attacks on Iran and the Iranian counter-reaction constitute an extremely dangerous turning point,” he wrote on social media. “Any action that further fuels tensions in an already explosive region is a cause for great concern. Belgium calls on all parties involved to exercise maximum restraint and avoid further escalation.”
Prévot emphasised the need to keep diplomatic channels open. “The negotiating table is always a better option than the battlefield, especially now that a new round of talks between the US and Iran was planned for this weekend in Oman,” he said. “Just when the world needs peace and solutions, we must not abandon the path of dialogue. Only diplomacy can prevent the worst.”
Nuclear negociations
However, those nuclear negotiations may already be ill-fated. “The nuclear negotiations between the United States and Iran, the sixth round of which was supposed to start on Sunday in Oman, are dead for now,” said Professor David Criekemans (University of Antwerp). “Israel thought that Donald Trump might make a deal with Iran in Oman.”
Criekemans noted that while Israel has targeted nuclear scientists in the past, the killing of high-ranking Iranian military officials marks a dangerous escalation. “This is happening faster than I expected. There is a new reality on the ground,” he said. He also cast doubt on Israel’s ability to halt Iran’s nuclear ambitions: “The Iranians themselves indicate that you might be able to eliminate their nuclear experts, but they also say that the nuclear knowledge is ‘in the Iranian heads’. So you are not going to stop that.”
Criekemans added that the Israeli attacks could serve domestic political aims by shifting focus away from the Gaza war. “In terms of image, this escalation is welcome for Tel Aviv. The situation in Gaza is terrible, but now you are faced with an even bigger war situation.”
According to Criekemans, the unusually cautious language from US secretary of state Marco Rubio suggests Washington is keen to avoid deeper entanglement. “Moreover, the statement by Saudi Arabia is also remarkable,” Criekemans continued. “In it, Saudi Arabia speaks of their ‘brotherly Islamic Republic of Iran’, which is new. Saudi Arabia obviously prefers stability to war in the region.”
The US still hopes nuclear talks will proceed. "We still plan to continue the negotiations on Sunday," an unnamed US official told AFP, though Iran has not confirmed its participation. Oman had previously announced that the sixth round of discussions would take place in Muscat, led on the American side by Trump ally and special envoy Steve Witkoff.
Iran, meanwhile, has warned the US it is “responsible for the consequences” of Israel’s actions and has threatened to target American bases in the event of conflict. Rubio reiterated that the US was not involved in the attack and warned Tehran not to retaliate against US troops in the region.
Rescue teams work outside a heavily damaged building, targeted by an Israeli strike in the Iranian capital Tehran on 13 June, 2025. Israel carried out strikes against Iran early on 13 June, targeting its nuclear and military sites as well as residential buildings in Tehran, after US President Donald Trump warned of a possible "massive conflict" in the region. © PHOTO AFP