Condemning Israel’s actions, the Arab League that gathered in Istanbul on Saturday, said the attacks on Iran were “a clear violation of international law and a threat to the security of the region”, and called for Israel to return to the negotiating table.
The foreign ministers of Arab League – a confederation of 22 Arab countries – also called on the international community and the UN Security Council to fulfil their responsibilities and said that comprehensive calm in the region can only be “addressing all causes of conflict and tension, starting with halting the Israeli aggression on Gaza and allowing the immediate, adequate, and sustainable entry of humanitarian aid through relevant United Nations organizations”.
The statement was shared through the Jordanian Foreign Ministry on social media.
They also emphasised the need to refrain from targeting nuclear facilities that are subject to International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards, saying that attacks could be a “flagrant violation of international law”, and “devastating humanitarian and environmental impacts”.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was present in Istanbul for the meeting with Arab League diplomats as they discussed the country’s conflict with Israel.
The weekend gathering of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) saw about 40 diplomats attending to discuss the conflict, according to Tasnim News Agency. The meeting comes after Aragchi met foreign ministers from Britain, France, and Geneva on Friday.
“At this meeting, at the suggestion of Iran, the issue of the Zionist regime’s attack on our country will be specifically addressed,” Araghchi said.
The Council of the Arab League is originally based in Cairo and has 22 member states of which Iran and Turkey are not part of. The meeting on Saturday was held in Istanbul ahead of the gathering of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the OIC which will take place on June 22.
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Meanwhile, Iran’s Isfahan nuclear site, one of the country’s biggest, was targeted by Israel early on Saturday. Iranian news reports say that there was no leakage of hazardous material. The nuclear facility has been attacked before, during the conflict. However, there has been no confirmation from the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF).
The IDF also confirmed on Telegram that the head of the Palestinian Division of the Iranian Quds Force, Saeed Izadi, was killed in an Israeli air strike. The Israeli defence minister alleged that Izadi had armed Hamas ahead of the October 7 attacks.
A Hezbollah facility in south Lebanon was also targeted by an Israeli naval vessel overnight, according to the IDF. The military claimed that the site was used for planning terror attacks against Israeli citizens and that it was targeted after intelligence gathering.
