‘Alarming’

World Leaders Call for Calm Between Israel and Iran After Strikes

Sharp escalation of conflict after Trump pulled out of nuclear deal.

World leaders have urged Iran and Israel to dial down the sharply escalating tensions between them after Israel accused Iran of launching an overnight rocket strike from Syria on an Israeli military base and that it had responded with a barrage of its own missiles. The Israeli military said it hit “dozens” of Iranian targets in Syria in overnight strikes following an alleged rocket attack on the occupied territory of the Golan Heights. France and Russia have urged both sides to cool tensions, with a spokesperson for French President Emmanuel Macron saying: “The president has been kept regularly updated. He calls for a de-escalation in the situation.” A Russian news agency quoted Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov as saying: “This is all very alarming, it causes concern. There should be work to de-escalate the tensions.” Meanwhile Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he would be embarking on talks with allies in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia over Iran after the U.S. announced it’s leaving the 2015 nuclear deal.