Arab states urge calm after US attacks on Iran

Saudi Arabia expressed “deep concern” following the U.S. airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities early Sunday.

Riyadh’s Foreign Ministry “condemned and denounced the violation of the sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” reiterating it statement issued when Israel attacked Iran on June 13.

The statement emphasized the need for de-escalation and called on the international community to work on a political solution “that would bring an end to the crisis and open a new chapter for achieving security and stability in the region.”

Saudi was on high alert after the U.S. attacks on Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan, Reuters reported on Sunday.

A source in the Saudi royal family told Israel’s Channel 12 News that Riyadh requested the U.S. not strike Iran’s Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, and President Donald Trump complied, avoiding potential radioactive contamination of Gulf waters. The source also noted that Trump respected the Gulf Cooperation Council’s refusal to allow use of its airspace for the attack.

The Saudi official praised the U.S. as a global power acting to maintain security and said the destruction of enriched uranium in Iran would delay Tehran’s nuclear ambitions by at least two years. He emphasized that this was an internal American matter unrelated to Saudi Arabia.

The United Arab Emirates issued a similar statement, expressing “deep concern” and calling for “wisdom and dialogue” to lower tensions.

Oman, which has been playing the role of mediator in recent nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington, hosting talks in Muscat, condemned the “illegal attack” and called for “immediate action to de-escalate the situation in the region.”

The Hamas terrorist group in Gaza also weighed in, saying that it “strongly condemn[s] the American aggression,” calling it a “dangerous escalation.”

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, in a message aimed at the Iranian terrorist proxy Hezbollah, wrote that “it is increasingly important for us to adhere strictly to the supreme national interest, which requires avoiding Lebanon’s involvement or being drawn into the ongoing regional confrontation in any way.”