Nigeria has condemned Israel’s attack on Iran and called for peace between both parties, as both sides continue attacks on Saturday and announce deaths and casualties.
“The Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria condemns Israel’s preemptive strike on Iran that has led to an escalation of hostilities between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the State of Israel,” Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Saturday.
“Nigeria expresses its grave concern and calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities and urges both parties to exercise utmost restraint in the interest of regional and global peace,” the ministry said.
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“The continued cycle of retaliation not only endangers civilian lives but threatens to plunge the broader Middle East into further instability, with implications for international security and economic development.”
Israeli authorities have reported that three people have been killed and dozens of others injured by Iranian retaliatory strikes, while Iran has reported 78 deaths and 320 others wounded from Israeli strikes.
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Still, both sides have promised that more airstrikes and missiles are on the way. The Israeli defence minister, Israel Katz, said Iranian missiles were targeted at residential areas and the civilian population and for this, Tehran had “crossed red lines”.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also promised that “more is on the way.”
Meanwhile, Iran has vowed a “crushing response” to the Israeli attack and said it would intensify its attacks.
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PREMIUM TIMES reports that the long-running conflict between the countries escalated after Israel launched airstrikes on Tehran, which killed three of its top commanders and six nuclear scientists.
Hours later, the Iranian military carried out retaliatory strikes that targeted Israel using ballistic missiles and drones.
Israel’s military stated that “all of Israel” was “under fire” as a result of the missiles fired at the country.
Both countries continued the attacks on Saturday with Israel carrying out air raids and Iran launching missiles towards Israel.
According to Haaretz, direct hits were reported in central Israel, wounding five people.
The Israeli newspaper reported that Iranian missiles hit several buildings.
However, the Israel Defence Force (IDF) said, “Some of the missiles were intercepted, and Search and Rescue forces are currently operating in a number of locations across the country in which reports of fallen projectiles were received.”
UN emergency meeting
On Friday, the United Nations Security Council held an emergency meeting over the Israel-Iran conflict.
The council had scheduled the meeting to respond to the rapidly unfolding crisis.
Speaking at the session, Iranian Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani told the Security Council that the series of attacks from Israel targeted its nuclear facility, which was protected by the fundamental principles of international law.
He stated that damage to such sites could release catastrophic radiological consequences across the region and beyond.
But Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon described the country’s action as an act of national preservation.
He argued that Israel’s strikes were preventative and carried out with precision and the most advanced intelligence.
“Israel did not act recklessly; we waited. This was an act of national preservation. It was one we undertook alone, not because we wanted to, but because we were left no other option,” he said.
The US senior State Department official, McCoy Pitt, who was present at the session, accused Iran of carrying out unprovoked direct and proxy attacks against Israeli civilians and of fueling terrorism across the region.
Mr Pitt, who spoke on behalf of the United States, emphasised that President Trump has consistently maintained that Iran’s regime must not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons.
He added that while the US was informed of the Israeli strikes ahead of time, it did not take part militarily.
He also noted that the US will continue to seek diplomatic resolutions, adding that “Iran’s leadership will be wise to negotiate at this time.”
Russia, Pakistan, IAEA speak
Reacting to the development, Russia’s Ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, warned that Israel’s actions are “pushing the region toward a large-scale nuclear catastrophe.”
Mr Nebenzia, at the session, described Israel’s strikes as “completely unprovoked” and a “gross violation of the UN Charter and international law,” regardless of Israel’s justification.
Mr Nebenzia also accused the members of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), of contributing to the current crisis through their approach to Iran and its nuclear programme.
Pakistan’s Ambassador, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, told the Council that Israel’s “blatant provocations” present a serious threat to peace and stability across the region.
“Iran has the right to self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter,” he said.
Meanwhile, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, condemned Israel’s attacks on the Iranian facilities, stating that nuclear sites must never be targeted under any circumstances.
“Such attacks have serious implications for nuclear security, nuclear safety and safeguards, as well as regional and international peace and security,” Mr Grossi said.
He also declared that he’s ready to travel to Iran to assess the situation firsthand.
“I reiterate that any military action that jeopardises the safety and security of nuclear facilities risks grave consequences for the people of Iran, the region, and beyond,” Mr Grossi warned.
The council members reached a consensus on the need for urgent de‑escalation and diplomacy and made a unified call for restraint.
More reactions
Meanwhile, more reactions are coming from world leaders on the development. Many of them urged restraint and de-escalation of the crisis.
In a post on X late Friday, the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen urged “all parties to act with maximum restraint and work to de-escalate the situation.”
READ ALSO: Israel closes diplomatic missions worldwide after attacking Iran
She noted that she had called Israeli President Isaac Herzog, and “reiterated Israel’s right to defend itself and protect its people.”
Mrs Leyen, however, noted that at the same time, preserving regional stability is vital.
NATO’s incoming Secretary General, Mark Rutte, said Israel’s allies must prioritise de-escalation. “I think that is now the first order of the day,” he told journalists during a press conference in Stockholm.
Meanwhile, in London, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the reports of the strikes as “concerning” and called on all sides to “step back and reduce tensions urgently.”
He said the UK was not involved in the Israeli strikes.
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