Iran Under Siege as France, Germany and Britain Join US-Israel War in Arab Region
Iran faces potential military action from multiple nations beyond the United States and Israel. On Sunday, three European countries—France, Germany and Britain—announced their readiness to defend their interests and those of their allies in the Gulf region, if necessary through “defensive action” against Iran.
The leaders of the three nations expressed shock at Iran’s indiscriminate and disproportionate missile attacks launched against countries in the region, including nations not involved in the initial military operations by the US and Israel.
“Iran’s reckless attacks have targeted our close allies and threatened our military personnel and civilians across the region,” the three countries stated in a joint statement published by AFP on Monday.
“We call upon Iran to immediately cease these reckless attacks,” they added.
“We will take measures to defend our interests and those of our allies in the region, potentially through activating necessary and proportionate defensive action to neutralise Iran’s capability to launch missiles and drones from their source,” the French-German-British statement said.
“We have agreed to work together with the US and allies in the region on this matter.”
Iran has launched a series of missile and drone attacks against several Gulf countries, claiming they targeted US military bases. This followed strikes by US and Israeli forces beginning on Saturday.
“Iran’s attacks struck multinational military bases near Arbil in northern Iraq and a German military camp in eastern Jordan,” said a German military spokesperson.
“There were no casualties in those strikes,” the spokesperson added.
Earlier, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced “large-scale” attacks on Sunday. Explosions were heard in Riyadh, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Manama, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian described the killing of Khamenei as a “declaration of war against Muslims”. He warned that “Iran considers it an obligation and legitimate right to seek retribution against the perpetrators and architects of this historical crime”.
“We defend ourselves in every way, and we do not see limits for ourselves in defending our people and protecting our people,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told US news channel ABC News.