By G. Dunkel
June 26, 2025

People in Pakistan and other Asian countries as well as London, Paris, Bern, Rome and Berlin were among those worldwide the second week of June protesting Israel’s genocide and war crimes in Gaza.

As information about Israel’s bombing of Iran spread, contingents and slogans opposed to Israel’s bombing campaign became more prominent. U.S. support and weaponry enabling Israel’s crimes was widely acknowledged.

There were many large demonstrations in Pakistan, which borders Iran on its southeast, opposing Israel’s war against the Palestinians. On June 21, the people of Lahore, Pakistan’s second largest city, held a massive demonstration in spite of the extreme heat. They denounced Israeli crimes and expressed unwavering solidarity with Iran. Chants condemning both the United States and Israel echoed throughout the protest.

Other reactions worldwide

Here are some reactions from around the world to the U.S. bombing of Iran’s nuclear sites.

Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi accused Washington of breaching international law: “The United States, a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, has committed a grave violation of the United Nations Charter, international law and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty by attacking Iran’s peaceful nuclear installations.”

He added that Iran “reserves all options to defend its sovereignty, interest and people.”

Hamas, which is the governing party in Gaza, said it condemned “in the strongest terms the brazen aggression of the United States against the territory and sovereignty of Iran. The U.S. aggression against Iran is a dangerous escalation, blind obedience to the occupiers’ agenda and a clear violation of international law. We declare our solidarity with Iran, its leadership and its people, and we have full confidence in Iran’s ability to defend its sovereignty.”

The Yemeni governing group Ansarallah (also called Houthis) slammed the U.S. attack on Iran as a flagrant violation of all international laws and conventions, a threat to regional and global peace and security. In a statement, the group said the attack stems from the U.S.’s “unlimited” support to Israel. “This aggression comes against the backdrop of Iran’s supportive stances on the Palestinian cause and its support for jihad and resistance movements against the Zionist entity.”

The deputy head of President Vladimir Putin’s Security Council in Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, said several nations would be ready to provide Iran with nuclear weapons, without naming the countries. Medvedev added that the U.S. attack caused minimal damage and would not stop Teheran from pursuing nuclear weapons.

Russia’s foreign ministry said it strongly condemns the U.S. attacks on Iran. “The irresponsible decision to subject the territory of a sovereign state to missile and bomb attacks, whatever the arguments it may be presented with, flagrantly violates international law, the Charter of the United Nations and the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council.”

The foreign ministry of China, posting on X, said it “strongly condemns” U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites that “seriously violate the purposes and principles of the U.N. Charter and international law and have exacerbated tensions in the Middle East. China calls on the parties to the conflict, Israel in particular, to reach a ceasefire as soon as possible, ensure the safety of civilians and start dialogue and negotiation,” the ministry said on X.