UAE strongly condemns Israeli strikes on Iran

Saudi Arabia also condemned attack and called it a 'violation of sovereignty' and international law

Tehran at dawn after several explosions were heard in the city on Saturday morning. AFP

Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza

The UAE has strongly condemned Israel’s military strikes on Iran, and expressed its deep concern over the continued escalation and its repercussions on security and stability in the region.

Israel's military said it launched strikes on Tehran in retaliation for the missiles Iran fired on Israel earlier this month. Two Iranian soldiers were killed.

On Saturday, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed the importance of exercising maximum restraint to avoid risking the expansion of the conflict.

The Ministry reiterated that enhancing dialogue, adhering to international law, and respecting state sovereignty remain the ideal foundations for resolving the current crises. The Ministry also called for disputes to be resolved through diplomatic means.

Saudi Arabia on Saturday also condemned the attack and called it a "violation of sovereignty" and international law, the country’s state news agency reported.

Urging all parties to exercise maximum restraint, the kingdom called on the international community to take action towards de-escalation and ending conflicts in the region.

'Precise strikes'

Israel's military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said that "in response to months of continuous attacks from the regime in Iran” the Israeli military was "conducting precise strikes on military targets in Iran”.

"The regime in Iran and its proxies in the region have been relentlessly attacking Israel since October 7 – on seven fronts – including direct attacks from Iranian soil," he said.

This was the first time Israel's military openly attacked Iran, following Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s promise to hit back after Iran fired about 200 ballistic missiles at Israel on October 1.

After concluding the strikes, Israel warned Iran against responding. Iran is ready to retaliate, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.

Watch: Explosions heard over Tehran amid Israeli strikes