On Saturday, the U.S. and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran, killing the regime’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iran has responded with retaliatory strikes targeting Israel and U.S. military bases across the Middle East.
World leaders have responded with support and condemnation.
U.S-aligned nations, like the UK, have backed the initial strikes, while some Middle Eastern countries have expressed condolences over Khamenei’s death.
Background
U.S. President Donald Trump called the joint attack a “major combat operation” to “defend the American people”.
The strikes killed the regime’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Since the 1979 revolution, the Supreme Leader has held almost all decision-making power in Iran.
In response, Iran launched strikes on Israel and at U.S. bases in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Iraq.
Australia
On Saturday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressedsupport for the U.S-Israeli strikes, which he said were “to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon”.
On Sunday, Albanese clarified Australia is not “directly active” in the strikes, and reiterated his “utter rejection of the brutal Iranian regime.”
He noted two examples of antisemitic attacks in Australia orchestrated by the regime, which led to Australia closing its embassy in Iran last year.
UK
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed support for the strikes on Iran.
“The United Kingdom played no role in these strikes,” he added.
Starmer said the UK had accepted a U.S. request “to use British bases”.
“The basis of our decision is the collective self-defence of longstanding friends and allies, and protecting British lives,” Starmer said.
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Iraq
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani shared a message of condolence over Khamenei’s death,
calling him a “martyr” and declaring a three-day mourning period.
Al-Sudani called the strikes on Iran a “flagrant act of aggression and a condemned deed that violates all human and ethical norms, in clear breach of international laws and covenants.”
He said Iraq calls “for an immediate and unconditional cessation of all military operations.”
Canada
Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada “supports the United States acting to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon,” labelling Iran’s regime “the principal source of instability and terror throughout the Middle East”.
Speaking in India on Saturday (local time), Carney said Canada was not “party to the military build up of this”.
“We have had a series of discussions over recent weeks about the possibility of this happening,” he added.
France
President Emmanuel Macron said France “stands ready to deploy the necessary resources to protect its closest partners, should they request it.”
Macron called on the regime to “end its nuclear and ballistic programs”.
“The Iranian people must also be able to freely build their future,” he said, calling for “the voice [to] be returned to the people.”
Lebanon
Following Hezbollah launching rockets from southern Lebanon at Israel, Lebanese PM Nawaf Salam said: “We will not accept anyone dragging the country into adventures that threaten its security and unity.”
The Iranian regime financially backs and militarily supports Hezbollah.
Israel has fired back, with explosions heard in Beirut.
