Cape Town – South Africa has voiced deep concern over Israeli attacks inside Iran, which targeted military sites, nuclear facilities, and civilian infrastructure, causing casualties among both civilians and military personnel.
Israel carried out the strikes on Friday.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned Israel it faced a “bitter and painful” fate over the attack, which also killed a senior Guards commander according to Iranian media.
The United States underlined that it was not involved in the Israeli action, and warned Tehran not to attack its personnel or interests.
US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on Friday, a White House official told AFP. He said earlier that Israel had let him know in advance about its strikes on Iran’s military top brass and nuclear facilities.
After Iran launched barrages of ballistic missiles on Friday, the United States was “assisting in shooting down missiles targeting Israel,” two US officials told AFP, without giving detail on the extent of Washington’s role.
The South African government questioned the safety of striking nuclear sites and challenged Israel’s claim of pre-emptive self-defense, stating there’s no clear evidence of an imminent attack as required by the UN Charter.
South Africa called for all parties to exercise maximum restraint and urged increased diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions and promote stability in the Middle East.
South Africa condemns Israeli attacks on Iran, reiterates unwavering commitment to peaceful resolution of disputes #sabcnews pic.twitter.com/iLpjebMR8o
— Sherwin Bryce-Pease (@sherwiebp) June 13, 2025
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
