CAIRO, April 14 (Xinhua) -- Countries across the Middle East on Sunday called for restraint after Iran launched coordinated drone and missile strikes on Israel late Saturday night in retaliation for a deadly Israeli assault on the Iranian consulate in Syria.
According to a statement by the Iraqi presidency, President Abdul Latif Rashid warned of an expansion of conflicts in the Middle East region, stressing that "wars will not solve people's problems but aggravate the conflicts between nations."
The Iraqi president also called for an end to the military attacks against the Gaza Strip, noting that a decisive solution to the Palestinian issue must be reached as a fundamental pillar of stability in the region.
In another statement, Iraq's Acting Parliament Speaker Mohsen al-Mandalawi said that the response by Iran to Israel's targeting of its consulate in Syria was "a natural and legitimate right guaranteed by international laws and regulations."
The Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged the international community to take action to defuse tensions and de-escalate the situation in the region, calling on "all parties to halt escalation, promote calm, and exercise maximum restraint."
Highlighting the military escalation in the region and its implications, the Foreign Ministry of Oman stressed in a statement the importance of exercising restraint to spare the region and its peoples from the risks of war.
The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs also released a statement regarding the attack, saying that before the incident, Türkiye had held discussions with Iranian and U.S. authorities, and made necessary initiatives to ensure that the reactions would be proportionate.
"Today, we are conveying our messages to Iranian officials and Western countries that influence Israel, calling for an end to the escalation," it added.
According to a report by Türkiye's Anadolu Agency, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Sunday held a phone call with his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, clarifying that Ankara does not want further escalation of tension in the region.
The Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates in a statement expressed its solidarity with Iran, denouncing Israel's strikes on Syrian territory and Iran's diplomatic premises.
It also called on the international community to condemn Israel's actions and take immediate action to halt further aggression.
Following Iran's reprisal, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened the war cabinet to discuss the repercussions of the attack.
Benny Gantz, a member of the war cabinet, said that Israel will respond to Iran's aerial attack "in the right time."
"In the wake of the threat from Iran, we will build a regional coalition and exact a price from Iran, in the manner and at the time that suits us," Gantz said in a video statement.
However, analysts believe that a decision to retaliate immediately was unlikely for Israel, as the United States, Israel's key ally, said it would not support such a move.
Earlier on Sunday, Iranian foreign minister said Iran at this moment no longer sought to continue its retaliatory military operations against Israel.
"Iran at this moment no more seeks to continue its defensive operations, but if necessary, it will not hesitate in protecting its legitimate interests against any new aggression," said Amir-Abdollahian. ■
