UNITED NATIONS secretary-general Antonio Guterres and China were among those condemning Washington’s unprovoked attack on Iranian nuclear facilities today.

Mr Guterres said that he was “gravely alarmed” by the use of force.

“There is a growing risk that this conflict could rapidly get out of control, with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region, and the world,” he said in a statement on the X social media platform.

“I call on member states to de-escalate.

“There is no military solution. The only path forward is diplomacy.”

A commentary from China’s state broadcaster asked whether the US was “repeating its Iraq mistake in Iran.

“History has repeatedly shown that military interventions in the Middle East often produce unintended consequences, including prolonged conflicts and regional destabilisation,” warned the online article.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry “strongly condemned” the air strikes as a “a gross violation of international law, the UN charter and UN security council resolutions.”

Pakistan blasted the strikes as a “deeply disturbing” escalation — just days after it nominated US President Donald Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize over his diplomatic intervention in the India-Pakistan crisis.

“These attacks violate all norms of international law,” the government said in a statement. “Iran has the legitimate right to defend itself under the UN charter.”

In Oman, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said the attacks threaten “to expand the scope of the conflict and constitute a serious violation of international law.”

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said that the bombing could lead to a regional conflict that no country could bear and called for negotiations.

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas urged “all sides to step back, return to the negotiating table and prevent further escalation.”

At the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV made a strong appeal for peace during his Angelus prayer in St Peter’s Square, calling for international diplomacy to “silence the weapons.”