World leaders urge peace as Iran trades strikes with US and Israel

BRUSSELS (AP) — World leaders urged peace Sunday as a second day of military strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran raised concerns that the violence could spread across the region, and Iran vowed devastating blows after the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Massive explosions rocked the Iranian capital as Israel’s military said it was targeting the “heart” of Tehran. Iran pressed on with its retaliation, targeting Israel and U.S. military bases in Gulf states.

Iranian officials hurried to plan a future after the death of Khamenei, who had no designated successor, as some Iranians who had long suffered from political repression celebrated.

On streets around the world, there were protests in outrage or bursts of celebration.

World leaders grappled with how to respond.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz acknowledged the complexities. In recognition of the legal ambiguity of the U.S. attack, Merz said that, globally, international law was being respected less and less and there was little point in lecturing allies.

He called the Iranian regime a “terrorist” one that endangered its citizens and the region.

“The Federal Government shares the relief of many Iranians that this mullah regime is now coming to an end,” Merz said. “Together with the United States and Israel, we share the interest in ending this regime’s terror and stopping its dangerous nuclear and ballistic armament.”

‘What comes next is uncertain’

Some allies of the U.S. and Israel took defensive measures.

A drone strike damaged a hangar at a French naval base at the port of Abu Dhabi, France’s defense minister said. President Emmanuel Macron said the conflict has prompted France to reinforce its military posture and its defensive support for allies in the Middle East. He did not elaborate.

British Defense Minister John Healey said Iranian missile and drone strikes came within a few hundred yards (meters) of a group of 300 British military personnel in Bahrain, and that two missiles were even fired in the direction of Cyprus, where the U.K. has bases.

“We don’t believe they were targeted at Cyprus, but nevertheless, it’s an example of how there is a very real and rising threat from a regime that is lashing out widely across the region, and that requires us to act,” Healey told Sky News.

Cyprus government spokesman Constantinos Letymbiotis posted on X that reports suggesting missiles had been fired toward Cyprus were not valid.

Top diplomats from the 27 European Union nations were holding an emergency meeting Sunday to discuss the situation and next steps for the bloc.

“The death of Ali Khamenei is a defining moment in Iran’s history. What comes next is uncertain,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said. “But there is now an open path to a different Iran, one that its people may have greater freedom to shape.”

Pope Leo XIV said he was “profoundly concerned” about the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and urged both sides to “stop the spiral of violence before it becomes an irreparable abyss.”

Iran is urged to ‘return to your senses’

Perhaps cautious about upsetting already strained relations with U.S. President Donald Trump, many nations, including several in the Middle East, refrained from commenting directly or pointedly on the joint strikes but condemned Tehran’s retaliation.

The 22-nation Arab League called the Iranian attacks “a blatant violation of the sovereignty of countries that advocate for peace and strive for stability.” That coalition of nations has historically condemned both Israel and Iran for actions it says risk destabilizing the region.

“Return to your senses … and deal with your neighbors with reason and responsibility before the circle of isolation and escalation widens,” Anwar Gargash, an adviser to the United Arab Emirates’ president, told the Iranian theocracy.

The UAE closed its embassy in Iran and announced the withdrawal of its diplomatic mission after Iranian strikes hit the country.

Russia and China criticize the killing of Khamen

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Russian leader Vladimir Putin blasted Khamenei’s killing, which he called “a cynical violation of all norms of human morality and international law.”

“The blatant killing of the leader of a sovereign state and the incitement of regime change are unacceptable,” China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in a phone call with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, according to China’s official Xinhua News Agency. “These actions violate international law and the basic norms governing international relations.”

Wang said attacking a sovereign state without U.N. Security Council authorization undermines the foundation for peace established after World War II.

Some protest and others celebrate

At least 22 people were killed in clashes with police after hundreds of protesters stormed the U.S. Consulate in the Pakistani port city of Karachi, authorities said.

In Iraq, hundreds wore black and waved flags belonging to Iran-backed Iraqi militias and red flags that symbolize vengeance in the Shiite Muslim faith as they marched across Sadr City to decry the killing of Khamenei.

Anger flashed at protests in Istanbul and among Shiite Muslims in India.

Demonstrations were also held in cities including New York, Berlin, Paris and Vienna by members of the Iranian diaspora and their supporters, celebrating the end of Khamenei’s rule. Some demonstrators waved flags of the Iranian monarchy, with Israeli and U.S. flags also on display.

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Ciobanu reported from Warsaw and Metz from Ramallah, West Bank. Reporters around the world contributed to this report.