Western states call for restraint amid expected Iran response to Israel

The leaders of the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy issued a joint statement on Monday expressing their “support for ongoing efforts to de-escalate tensions” in West Asia and secure a ceasefire in the war on Gaza.

“We called on Iran to stand down its ongoing threats of a military attack against Israel and discussed the serious consequences for regional security should such an attack take place,” the statement said.

The Western powers also endorsed the latest push by the US, Qatar and Egypt to broker a truce agreement to end the 10-month-long war.

Global concern that Israel’s war will escalate into an all-out regional conflict multiplied after the assassination last month of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, and of Fuad Shukr, a top commander from the Lebanese group Hezbollah, in Beirut.

Iran and Hezbollah maintain they are not seeking an all-out war but they remain ready should it break out.

Earlier on Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer issued a separate joint statement calling for de-escalation.

“We call on Iran and its allies to refrain from attacks that would further escalate regional tensions and jeopardise the opportunity to agree a ceasefire and the release of hostages,” it noted.

“The fighting must end now, and all hostages still detained by Hamas must be released. The people of Gaza need urgent and unfettered delivery and distribution of aid,” it added.

Scholz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer also held separate phone calls with with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday, the German and UK governments announced on Monday.

Starmer asked Pezeshkian to refrain from attacking Israel, saying that war was not in anyone’s interest, the prime minister’s office said.

Scholz “appealed to President Pezeshkian to do everything possible to prevent a further military escalation”, expressed “great concern about the danger of a regional conflagration in the Middle East” and stated “the spiral of violence in the Middle East must be broken now”, his spokesman Wolfgang Buechner said in a statement.

John Kirby, the White House national security spokesperson, stated on Monday that the US was prepared for an attack to take place as soon as this week.

“We have to be prepared for what could be a significant set of attacks.”

Iran is expected to “harshly punish” Israel, which it blames for the assassination of Haniyeh in Tehran.

Hezbollah has also promised retribution after Israel admitted it killed Shukr in Beirut.