Israel’s Attack on Iran Condemned, Largely Seen ‘Performative’ by Social Media

Palestinian National Initiative Movement Secretary-General Dr. Mustafa Barghouti said the USA tied Israel’s hands in regard to the Iranian response and gave it a free hand to commit genocide in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, given the Israeli occupation remains helpless without Western support according to Jordan 24.

Iran’s Call

Al Jazeera’s Tehran bureau chief Abdul Qader Fayez said Iran believes that the Israeli attack is “no longer clean” because it caused bloodshed, but at the same time it downplays its importance, stressing that it is less than expected.

The Iranian army announced the death of two of its soldiers while confronting the Israeli attack.

Israel launched a series of airstrikes on Iran early Saturday morning, and explosions were heard in the Iranian capital, Tehran. Four hours after the start of the operation, which Israel called “Days of Response,” the Israeli army announced that it had completed the attack on military targets in Iran, and all of its aircraft that carried out the attack on Iran had returned safely to their bases, and that the operation had achieved all of its goals.

Fayez spoke about three levels that summarize the Iranian position on the Israeli attack on Tehran. The first is that it uses terms such as that the attack was weak, and that the losses were limited in terms of military sites, noting that the Iranian army confirmed the death of two soldiers.

Tehran also says that the Israeli attack was not as it had previously expected, at least according to the ceiling that Israel spoke about, meaning that it was not a “large-scale attack.”

On the second level, Iran says, through its informed sources, that Iranian anti-aircraft missiles succeeded in confronting the Israeli attack, which the sources said “was not successful,” and the Al Jazeera bureau chief said that this needs to be explained in a military sense.

Deny

The Iranian sources deny the Israeli narrative that Tel Aviv targeted 20 sites and missile batteries in its attack, describing this as inaccurate.

The third level, according to the Al Jazeera bureau chief, is related to the Iranian response, noting that it is not yet clear what Iran will do in the coming days. Fayez said that a source informed of the events spoke to the Iranian Tasnim News Agency, saying that “Iran is interested in responding to the Israeli attack,” which was previously repeated by military and political officials that any attack would be met with an Iranian response.

In its first comment on the Israeli airstrike, the Iranian Foreign Ministry condemned the Zionist aggression on Iranian military headquarters according to assawsana.

Violation

The Foreign Ministry said that this attack is a violation of international law and our sovereignty.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry confirmed it has the right to defend itself against any foreign aggression according to the United Nations Charter.

It said that the continuation of Zionist crimes in the region with American and Western military and political support is a factor of tension, and we affirm that we will use all our capabilities to defend our security and interests and our commitment to regional security.

On the other hand, the Politico website quoted an American official as confirming that no American military equipment participated in the Israeli operation on Iran.

The New York Times reported, quoting Iranian officials, that among the sites targeted by the Israeli attack was the “S-300” defense system at Khomeini Airport.

In Tehran Province, at least 3 missile bases belonging to the Revolutionary Guard were targeted.

Condemned by Arab World

Meanwhile Middle East states –  including Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Kuwait, and Qatar –condemned Saturday’s Israeli airstrikes on Iranian territory as reported in Anadolu.

Oman’s Foreign Ministry expressed “strong condemnation and denunciation” of the strikes, calling them a “blatant violation of [Iran’s] sovereignty” and “a clear breach of international law.”

The ministry warned that the attacks “fuel a cycle of violence and undermine efforts toward de-escalation and crisis containment through peaceful and diplomatic means.”

Qatar expressed its strong condemnation and denunciation of Israel’s targeting of Iran, branding the attacks “a blatant violation of Iran’s sovereignty and a clear breach of the principles of international law.”

The Qatari Foreign Ministry expressed “deep concern regarding the serious repercussions that may result from this escalation” and urged all concerned parties to “exercise restraint, resolve disputes through dialogue and peaceful means, and avoid anything that could destabilize security and stability in the region,” according to the Turkish news agency.

Jordan’s Foreign Ministry condemned the Israeli airstrikes on Iranian territory.

Ministry spokesman Sufyan Qudah reiterated the kingdom’s “absolute rejection of the dangerous escalation in the region and violations of international law.”

As well, the Jordan Foreign Ministry condemned the Israeli airstrikes on Iran’s territory, in breach of international law, adding that this attack is a violation of its sovereignty and a dangerous escalation that fuels further tension in the region.

In a statement Saturday, the ministry’s official spokesperson, Dr. Sufian Qudah, stressed the Kingdom’s “full” rejection of the dangerous escalation in the region and violations of international law, warning against slipping into a conflict that threatens the region’s stability and international security according to the Petra, the Jordan news agency.

A military source from the Jordan Armed Forces told Al Mamalaka TV that no military aircraft from the conflicting parties of the region have been allowed to transit through Jordanian airspace.

The source highlighted that the armed forces have been closely monitoring the military escalation in recent hours. The Royal Jordanian Airforce is on high alert and prepared to protect the nations, the source said.

The official stated this action also aims to stop Israeli violations of international law and UN resolutions and protect the region’s security and stability from the disastrous consequences of the continued Israeli attacks.

Also, Kuwait expressed its “strong condemnation and rejection of the Israeli aggression targeting Iran.”

“This act reflects the chaotic policies pursued by Israeli occupation forces, which violate the sovereignty of nations, jeopardize regional security, and disregard the principles of international law,” Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.


Saudi Arabia, UAE, Iraq, Egypt

Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry expressed its “strong condemnation and denunciation of the Israeli attack,” calling it a “violation of Tehran’s sovereignty and a breach of international laws and norms.”

The UAE’s Foreign Ministry also issued a call for restraint, stressing “the importance of exercising utmost self-restraint and judgment to mitigate risks and prevent the expansion of the scale of conflict.”

It reaffirmed that “enhancing dialogue, adhering to international law, and respecting the sovereignty of states” are critical to addressing current tensions and that disputes should be resolved “through diplomatic means rather than confrontation and escalation.”

In Iraq, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ahmed Al-Awadi condemned “the Zionist aggression on Iran” and called for an immediate cease-fire.

Iraq reiterated its stance against any actions that could provoke further instability in the region.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it is “closely monitoring the escalating tensions in the Middle East.”

Egypt condemned “all actions that threaten the security and stability of the region,” warning of the current risks of escalation.”

Cairo reiterated its call for an “urgent cease-fire” in Gaza and Lebanon, while calling for “respect for the sovereignty of nations and the integrity of their territories.”

CrossFireArabia

CrossFireArabia

Dr. Marwan Asmar holds a PhD from Leeds University and is a freelance writer specializing on the Middle East. He has worked as a journalist since the early 1990s in Jordan and the Gulf countries, and been widely published, including at Albawaba, Gulf News, Al Ghad, World Press Review and others.

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Amnesty Condemns Netanyahu’s Visit to Hungry

Responding to reports that Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has invited and plans to host Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Hungary on Wednesday, Erika Guevara-Rosas the head of Global Research, Advocacy and Policy of Amnesty International said:

“Prime Minister Netanyahu is an alleged war criminal, who is accused of using starvation as a method of warfare, intentionally attacking civilians and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts.  As a member state of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Hungary must arrest him if he travels to the country and hand him over to the Court. Any trip he takes to an ICC member state that does not end in his arrest would embolden Israel to commit further crimes against Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

“Netanyahu’s reported visit should be seen as a cynical effort to undermine the ICC and its work, and is an insult to the victims of these crimes who are looking to the Court for justice. Hungary’s invitation shows contempt for international law and confirms that alleged war criminals wanted by the ICC are welcome on the streets of a European Union member state.

“Netanyahu’s visit to Hungary must not become a bellwether for the future of human rights in Europe. European and global leaders must end their shameful silence and inaction, and call on Hungary to arrest Netanyahu during a visit which would make a mockery of the suffering of Palestinian victims of Israel’s genocide in Gaza, its war crimes in other parts of the Occupied Palestinian Territory and its entrenched system of apartheid against all Palestinians whose rights it controls.

“Amnesty International calls on the ICC Prosecutor to investigate and prosecute all Israel’s crimes. Hungary should equally do so by applying universal jurisdiction principles. Powerful leaders, like Netanyahu, accused by the ICC of war crimes and crimes against humanity, must no longer enjoy the prospect of perpetual impunity.”

“The ICC was established to ensure accountability for victims of genocide and other crimes under international law, and so that crimes which shock the human conscience would “never again” be accompanied by impunity. In ‘bringing power to justice’, the ICC is now facing a global backlash from powerful leaders seeking to undermine the international rule of law and stamp out the prospect of accountability for the most powerful.”

Background

In November 2024, the ICC issued arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as al-Qassam brigades commander Mohammed Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri, on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Since then, leaders from ICC member states France, Germany, Italy, Hungary and Poland have stated or implied that they would not arrest Benjamin Netanyahu if he travelled to their respective countries. The United States has also enacted sanctions against the ICC Prosecutor, Karim Khan.

A cornerstone principle of the ICC’s founding Rome Statute is that all individuals subject to ICC arrest warrants must be arrested and surrendered to the Court without recourse to immunity when they are within the jurisdiction of ICC member states, including on their territory.

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Israel Violates Syria With 11 Air Raids

Israel will not leave Syria alone! Israeli raids, Wednesday evening, struck the Scientific Research Institute in the Barzeh neighborhood in Damascus according to Sana, the Syrian news agency.

https://twitter.com/warintel4u/status/1907509948881502435

Israeli warplanes went on to strike the Hama military base with more than 11 air raids, Sana pointed out. later reports show that the military airport was targeted 17 times.

The Israeli Channel 12 added that an additional target was the T4 military airport in rural Homs.

The Israeli raids, almost daily, started months ago on Syria and its capital, Damascus, and increased after 9 December 2024 when there was a change of regime in the country.

Residents in Damascus said they heard loud explosions after the intense air raids that targeted the scientific building in Barzeh.

But before that Israel has been conducting deadly air raids, literally mounting to thousands on Syria for years under the now ousted Baath regime of President Bashar Al Assad.

Israel then claimed it was targeting Hezbollah and Iranian bases but there were many deaths and injuries.

Israel occupied most of the Syrian Golan Heights after the 1967 Arab-Israel war, and took advantage of the fall of the regime and occupying the country’s buffer zone and declaring the collapse of the 1974 disengagement agreement between the two sides.

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