The international community has condemned Israel’s latest airstrikes on Iran and called for restraint, with observers saying that the massive attacks that took place early on June 13 could further complicate peace efforts and overshadow the dire situation in Gaza ahead of a two-state solution conference next week.

Neighboring countries from the Middle East region as well as other nations in the Asia-Pacific and elsewhere voiced strong objection to what Israel called “pre-emptive strikes” against Iran.

United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has condemned military escalation in the Middle East while Saudi Arabia strongly condemns the blatant Israeli aggressions against Iran early Friday.

READ MORE: Iran's supreme leader warns Israel of severe retribution over airstrikes

Addressing the Israeli attack on Iran, Guterres said that: "I condemn any military escalation in the Middle East,” according to his deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq.

“I am particularly concerned about Israeli attacks on nuclear facilities in Iran, at a time when contacts are taking place between Iran and the United States (US) regarding the status of the Iranian nuclear program,” Guterres said. “I remind UN member states of their obligation to act in accordance with the UN Charter and international law.”

China expressed deep concern over the possible consequences caused by Israel’s wide-ranging attack on Iran, urging all parties to avoid exacerbating tensions.

Beijing opposes the violation of Iran’s sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told a regular news conference on June 13, after Israel launched strikes against multiple targets in Iran.

In Riyadh, a statement from Saudi Foreign Ministry said: The Kingdom “expresses its strong condemnation and denunciation of the blatant Israeli aggressions against the brotherly Islamic Republic of Iran, which undermine its sovereignty and security and constitute a clear violation of international laws and norms.”

The statement, released by the Saudi Press Agency, also affirms “that the international community and the Security Council bears a “great responsibility to halt this immediate aggression”.

Qatar’s foreign ministry also voiced concerns over the “dangerous escalation”, which, it said, “forms part of a recurring pattern of aggressive policies that threaten regional peace and stability”. Oman said it considered the latest move a “reckless escalation”, constituting a flagrant violation of the United Nations Charter.

It criticized the attack at “a highly sensitive time” amid efforts to intensify resuming nuclear negotiations between Teheran and Washington, and accused Israel of deliberate intent “to obstruct the diplomatic process”, holding Tel Aviv responsible for “this escalation and its repercussions”.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said in a statement that Israel’s attack on Iran “did not only target the Iranian people, but also all international efforts exerted to maintain stability in the Middle East and neighboring countries and avoid escalation therein.”

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said her country is alarmed by reports of Israeli strikes in Iran as it risked destabilizing an already volatile region, and called on all parties to refrain from actions and rhetoric that would further exacerbate tensions.

New Zealand Prime Minster Christopher Luxon said it was “a really unwelcome development” in the Middle East and that the “risk of miscalculation is high” as the region does “not need any more military action and risk association with that”.

"It's a really unwelcome development in the Middle East. The risk of miscalculation is high. That region does not need any more military action, and risk associated with that."

Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said that Tokyo "strongly condemns" Israel's attack on nuclear and military sites in Iran for "escalating the situation”, as he pledged necessary diplomatic efforts to prevent a further deterioration of the situation.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry said Israel’s latest attacks on Iran showed that Israel does not want issues to be resolved through diplomatic channels.

Ali Khansari, an international affairs analyst and graduate of regional studies at Allameh Tabataba'i University in Teheran, told China Daily that Iran faces the challenge of delivering a decisive yet measured response — “one that preserves deterrence without triggering excessive escalation”.

He said that from Israel’s perspective, the operation aimed to disrupt Iran’s command structure and slow its nuclear and missile development programs. “Tel Aviv may believe that Iran’s reduced regional influence and internal economic challenges limit Teheran’s willingness to escalate militarily,” said Khansari.

“This latest confrontation highlights the fragile security architecture of the Middle East and raises questions about the effectiveness of conventional deterrence models. The international community — including the US, China, the European Union (EU), and energy-importing countries like Japan — is likely to intensify efforts to prevent further deterioration,” he added.

Rasha Al Joundy, a senior researcher at the Dubai Public Policy Research Centre, told China Daily that she does not believe the attacks would have major effects unless two factors were involved, which is the US to officially support Israel’s attacks — US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that Washington was not involved in the strikes against Iran — and Iran deciding on a response that involved striking US military bases in the region.

“I think Israel would not begin this operation unless it knows (US President Donald Trump) is frustrated with Iran. And Netanyahu found this is the time the US wouldn’t mind an operation against Iran militarily and nuclear facilities because it will not be considered as sabotaging US negotiations, since it is already stalled,” said Al Joundy.

Mehran Kamrava, a professor of government at Georgetown University in Qatar, said the attacks appeared to be far significant in scope and depth and certainly “unprecedented in scale”.

“I think the nuclear negotiations with the United States, for the time being, are in abeyance and on hold and don’t mean anything. I think in the long run, this will mean that Iran will definitely speed up its nuclear development,” Kamrava told China Daily.

READ MORE: China opposes violation of Iran's sovereignty, territorial integrity

The attacks take place ahead of a two-state conference on June 17, which will be chaired by France and Saudi Arabia.

At a UN meeting in New York on May 23, the co-chairs emphasized the need for the June conference to go beyond reaffirming principles and achieve concrete results on the ground.

“We must urgently move from words to deeds. We must move from ending the war in Gaza to ending the conflict itself,” said Anne-Claire Legendre, Middle East and North Africa advisor to French President Emmanuel Macron.

Contact the writers at jan@chinadailyapac.com