France, Germany, UK ready to take 'defensive action' against Iran / Photo: © AFP
France, Germany, UK ready to take 'defensive action' against Iran
France, Germany and the UK said Sunday they were ready to defend their interests and those of its allies in the Gulf if necessary by taking "defensive action" against Iran.
The three countries' leaders were "appalled by the indiscriminate and disproportionate missile attacks launched by Iran against countries in the region, including those who were not involved in initial US and Israeli military operations", said the joint statement.
"Iran's reckless attacks have targeted our close allies and are threatening our service personnel and our civilians across the region," the statement added.
"We call on Iran to stop these reckless attacks immediately.
"We will take steps to defend our interests and those of our allies in the region, potentially through enabling necessary and proportionate defensive action to destroy Iran's capability to fire missiles and drones at their source," said the statement.
"We have agreed to work together with the US and allies in the region on this matter."
Iran has launched a series of missile and drone strikes on several Gulf countries, saying it is targeting US bases, after being hit by US-Israeli missile strikes from Saturday.
Iran's attacks have hit a multinational military base near Arbil in northern Iraq, and a German army camp in the east of Jordan, a German army spokesman told AFP, confirming media reports.
There had been no casualties in the attacks, he added.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards announced a "large-scale" attack on Sunday, and blasts were heard in Riyadh, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Manama, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, with Israeli rescue services reporting at least nine people killed in the city of Beit Shemesh.
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian declared Khamenei's killing a "declaration of war against Muslims" and warned: "Iran considers it its legitimate duty and right to avenge the perpetrators and masterminds of this historic crime."
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told US channel ABC News on Sunday: "We are defending ourselves whatever it takes, and we see no limit for ourselves to defend our people, to protect our people."
(P.Vasilyevsky--DTZ)
Featured