Is the Iranian attack on Israel the starting point of a new level of escalation in the Middle East? The G7 will immediately discuss the situation.
Tehran – Escalation in the Middle East: Iran has fired rockets at Israel for the first time. This is also calling the most powerful Western nations on the planet into action: the heads of state and government of the G7 will hold a video conference on Sunday afternoon (April 14) to coordinate a joint response to the Iranian attack on Israel. There are fears of a wildfire in the region. The Israeli government has called an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.
G7 consults on Israel-Iran conflict – 99 percent of missiles intercepted
Italy, currently holder of the G7 presidency, will convene the meeting in the early afternoon. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni wrote this in a statement on X.
Like other international heads of state and politicians, including from Germany, Meloni condemned the Iranian attack on Israel late Saturday. Tehran fired more than 300 rockets, ballistic missiles and drones against targets in Israel, according to Israel's military. The Israeli military said 99 percent of them were intercepted.
USA pledges support to Jerusalem – but rejects Israeli counterattack
US President Joe Biden called the attack an “unprecedented airstrike on military facilities in Israel.” According to Biden, G7 leaders will “coordinate a joint diplomatic response to Iran’s brazen attack.” U.S. officials “will remain in close contact with Israeli leadership.” Biden said American forces had helped Israel repel “almost all” drones and missiles. According to Biden, US forces have moved aircraft and destroyers to the region in anticipation of an Iranian attack.
Biden continued to speak of a “brazen” Iranian attack, which he condemned “in the strongest possible terms.” At the same time, he once again assured Israel of the US's “unwavering” support, although it appeared as if he wanted to prevent the ally from launching a military retaliation. Biden also spoke on the phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. According to a report by the news site
Axios,
the US President made it clear that he rejected an Israeli counterattack.
Political scientist on the Middle East conflict: “Nobody wants to let it escalate like that”
How quickly could the conflict in the region escalate? Political scientist Professor Stefan Fröhlich does not expect a major conflict to occur in the region in the short term. “Nobody wants to escalate this to the point where it leads to a major confrontation. Everyone involved must rely on deterrence – but in a controlled manner,” said the expert in international politics at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg on the
Phoenix
television station .
According to Fröhlich, the Israeli attack was “a disproportionate provocation” that “was also contrary to international law.” He continued: “An attack on the territory of a state justifies self-defense. In this respect, Iran behaved in accordance with international law with regard to the retaliatory strike. It has the right to do so.” However, the question must be asked as to whether this attack on Israel in itself is also contrary to international law.