Escalating Israel-Iran conflict draws condemnation

Editor's note: Chen Xi is a current affairs commentator. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

On June 12, 2025, following Israel's large-scale airstrike on Iran, the Islamic Republic quickly retaliated, and the conflict between the two countries escalated, adding a new crisis and uncertainty to the already turbulent and complex Middle East situation.

At the early stage of the conflict, several Arab countries voiced their condemnation of Israel's violation of Iran's sovereignty.

On June 16, foreign ministers from 21 Arab and Islamic countries,  issued a joint statement condemning Israel's attack on Iran, which had exacerbated tensions in the Middle East. The statement pointed out that Israel's attack was "a blatant violation of the sovereignty of a United Nations member state" and called for urgent intervention by the United Nations Security Council. It also emphasized that restarting nuclear negotiations with Iran was key to de-escalating the situation.

In addition, according to a Reuters report on June 16, at Iran's request, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Oman, through dialogues with Washington, urged U.S. President Donald Trump to pressure Israel for a ceasefire and to resume negotiations.

On June 21, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi called Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, emphasizing that "there is no military solution to this crisis," and called for an "immediate ceasefire to allow for the resumption of negotiations."

On June 22, the 51st meeting of the Foreign Ministers' Council of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) concluded in Istanbul, Türkiye. The declaration expressed deep concern over the escalating Israel-Iran situation, stating that the current situation posed a severe threat to regional humanitarian, economic, and environmental conditions. It also emphasized that Israel's continued attacks in the Middle East must stop immediately.

The declaration also strongly condemned Israel's "genocidal actions" in the Gaza Strip, which had lasted for more than 19 months, and stressed the urgency and necessity of achieving a permanent and sustainable ceasefire in Gaza. The declaration pointed out that Israel's recent attacks on Syria, Lebanon, and Iran, and its destabilizing policies in the region, were blatant violations of the sovereignty and security of these countries and severely violated international law. The declaration called on the international community to take "deterrent measures" and hold Israel accountable.

To promote these efforts, the OIC Foreign Ministers' Council decided to establish a permanent ministerial liaison group to engage with relevant regional and international parties to de-escalate the situation, stop the aggression against Iran, and seek a peaceful resolution.

Following Israel's airstrike on Iran on June 12, China was one of the first external countries to respond. The review article on the Syrian website Alikhbariah on June 13 also listed the international community's reactions to the conflict.

As the article was published the day after the airstrike, it only mentioned the reactions of Türkiye, China, and the United Kingdom. Regarding China's reaction, the article stated that the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed opposition to the violation of Iran's sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity, and opposed the escalation of the Middle East situation and the expansion of the conflict.

It is worth noting that on June 22, following the U.S. strike on Iran's nuclear facilities, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Egypt, Lebanon, and Jordan made statements to support Iran's sovereignty and territorial integrity, condemn the invasion of Iran, and call for the maintenance of the dignity of international law.

They urged all parties to exercise restraint, establish a cease fire, resume negotiations, and de-escalate the regional situation. In this incident, Arab countries' support for Iran can be viewed not just through a religious lens but as a legitimate act backed by international law, also serving to maintain a fair and just international order.

Particularly after the U.S. involvement in the attack on Iran's nuclear facilities, Arab countries did not shy away from making their stance clear out of fear of the U.S., but instead continued to call for a ceasefire and expressed concern over the escalation. Perhaps the U.S. should reflect on its involvement in the invasion of a sovereign nation.

The Iranian nuclear issue needs to be resolved, and there are existing solutions through the International Atomic Energy Agency and the United Nations Security Council, using legal, peaceful, and political means.

If Israel could have exercised restraint instead of launching an attack, perhaps a reasonable and peaceful solution could have been reached. Israel's actions, as well as the subsequent U.S. decision to attack Iran's nuclear facilities, are essentially an affront to the United Nations Security Council and a disregard for international law. This undermines the authority of the Security Council and could harm future efforts to resolve other international and regional conflicts.

(If you want to contribute and have specific expertise, please contact us at opinions@cgtn.com. Follow @thouse_opinions on X, formerly Twitter, to discover the latest commentaries in the CGTN Opinion Section.)