World Leaders Call for De-Escalation Between Israel and Iran

Following a report from two US officials on Friday morning that a missile strike by Israel had hit targets in Iran, international leaders around the world have called for de-escalation.
The targeted area of Iran was Isfahan, the site of a large airbase, a major missile production complex, and several nuclear facilities.

The missile strike, which has not been officially confirmed by the Israeli military, was the latest incident to occur between the two countries. Israel and Iran have been locked in a state of geostrategic competition with one another for decades, but recent escalations have brought the rivalry to a boiling point.

Tensions were heightened significantly with an attack launched by Iran against Israel on the evening of April 13. It involved a combination of over 300 drones, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles, although the vast majority of these were intercepted.

Tehran’s reasoning for the initial attack was that a number of senior officers belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were killed in an alleged Israeli airstrike on a compound in Syria on April 1.

Calls for de-escalation by the international community

Several high-profile diplomats, politicians, and world leaders have urged Israel and Iran to de-escalate the situation.

Speaking from a G7 meeting in Italy, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters: “All I can say is that for our part and for the entire G7, our focus has been on de-escalation and on avoiding a larger conflict. Actually that’s been true since day one and the horrific events of October 7. A big part of our approach has been to prevent the conflict from spreading to avoid escalation everywhere.”

António Guterres, the secretary general of the United Nations, made a similar call for “restraint” in the Middle East. Guterres took to X on Friday, where he said that it was “high time to stop the dangerous cycle of retaliation in the Middle East,” without explicitly referring to Iran or Israel.

It is high time to stop the dangerous cycle of retaliation in the Middle East.

I condemn any act of retaliation & appeal to the international community to work together to prevent any further development that could lead to devastating consequences for the entire region & beyond.

— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) April 19, 2024

Is de-escalation between Israel and Iran feasible?

Avi Melamed, a former Israeli intelligence official, Arab affairs advisor, and negotiator during the First and Second Intifadas, assessed that the limited nature of the Israeli strike has provided both sides with an off-ramp to de-escalate.

“Israel’s strike early this morning on Iran projects deterrence, sending the strong message to Tehran that Isfahan, and the Iranian nuclear centers in its vicinity, as well as the entire country of Iran, are within range for Israeli counterstrikes should it further escalate,” commented Melamed.

“The Israeli strike’s intended limited impact both showcases Israel’s restraint and resolve to respond to Iran’s strike last weekend while also not giving the regime the excuse to escalate further. It’s likely for this reason that Israel chose to target an airbase, in response to the successful Iranian hit on the Israel Air Force’s Nevatim base Sunday morning.

“The Regime has already started to signal its disinterest in further escalating by denying Israeli success and minimizing the impact of the strike.

“That could seemingly indicate a likely end to the current direct exchange of fire between Iran and Israel.”