France, Germany and the United Kingdom said on Sunday they were ready to defend their interests and those of their allies in the Gulf if necessary, threatening "defensive action" against Iran's missile and drone capabilities. The three countries' leaders said they 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 against Iran."
"Iran's reckless attacks have targeted our close allies and are threatening our service personnel and our civilians across the region," the joint statement read. "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. We have agreed to work together with the US and allies in the region on this matter."
Iran's Revolutionary Guards announced a "large-scale" attack on Sunday, striking a multinational military base near Arbil in northern Iraq and a German army camp in eastern Jordan. A German army spokesman confirmed both strikes to AFP, adding there were no casualties in either attack.
Blasts were heard across the region in Riyadh, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Manama, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Israeli rescue services reported at least nine people killed in the city of Beit Shemesh. Iran said it was targeting US military bases across the Gulf in response to the US-Israeli strikes that began on Saturday.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian declared the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei a "declaration of war against Muslims" and warned that Iran considered it "its legitimate duty and right to avenge the perpetrators and masterminds of this historic crime." Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told 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."
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