US, Europe, Russia urge restraint after Iran attack on Israel

The United States, Europe, and Russia are urging restraint following Iran's weekend missile and drone attack on Israel.

According to Reuters, Israel's European allies urged it on Monday to show restraint and avoid escalation in the Middle East.

According to U.S. officials, US President Joe Biden has told the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, that the United States will not participate in any Israeli counter-offensive against Iran, U.S. officials said.

Following the attack, Pope Francis on Sunday expressed his concern that the spiral of violence could worsen, emphasizing that no one should threaten the existence of others, and that, instead, all nations should "take the side of peace."

Contemplating response

The Israeli PM's war cabinet, which has the power to decide on the country's response, was set to convene on Monday afternoon, a government source said.

Israeli sources said the war cabinet, which also met on Sunday, favoured retaliation, but was divided over the timing and scale of any such response.

Europe, US appeal for restraint

Meanwhile, as tensions and fears grow, Britain, France, Germany and the European Union's foreign policy chief, have all joined Washington and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in calling for restraint.

"We're on the edge of the cliff and we have to move away from it," the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, told a Spanish radio station. "We have to step on the brakes and reverse gear," he said.

Similarly, French President Emmanuel Macron urged Israel to set its sights on isolating Iran rather than escalating the situation.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also warned Iran not to carry out more attacks and said Israel must also contribute to de-escalation.

Kremlin: 'Further escalation is in no one's interests'

Russia has refrained from criticising Iran in public over the strikes but expressed concern about the risk of escalation on Monday and also called for restraint.

"Further escalation is in no one's interests," Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said.

[Source: Reuters]