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Calls in Iran for UN-Sponsored Referendum

Nobel Peace Prize-winning Iranian lawyer Shirin Ebadi. (AFP)
Nobel Peace Prize-winning Iranian lawyer Shirin Ebadi. (AFP)
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Calls in Iran for UN-Sponsored Referendum

Nobel Peace Prize-winning Iranian lawyer Shirin Ebadi. (AFP)
Nobel Peace Prize-winning Iranian lawyer Shirin Ebadi. (AFP)

Following calls by Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani to hold a popular referendum to end political gridlock within the country, 15 prominent activists from several groups issued Monday a statement demanding that a referendum indeed be held in the country under the sponsorship of the United Nations.

One of the signatories, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi told Asharq Al-Awsat that the activists’ statement is an answer to the popular demands and calls voiced by demonstrators in the last protests that erupted across Iran against the dire internal situation.

“Iranians want to peacefully transfer authority from a Wilayet el-Faqih regime to a secular parliamentary democratic system,” she said.

Ebadi also expected that in case the referendum turns into a popular demand, the government would be forced to hold it.

“The percentage of people unsatisfied with the current situation in Iran has reached a high level, to an extent where we witness daily disturbances,” she added.

The activists’ statement had accused the authority of exploiting religion, hiding behind religious concepts, ignoring public opinion, violating people’s rights and freedoms and being greatly incapable of solving the political, social and economic crises in the country.

Rouhani had originally made the proposal to hold a popular referendum during a speech marking the 39th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution on Sunday.

However, Ebadi said that the activists’ statement was “independent” from the president’s speech.

She said that the 15 activists who signed the statement include Iranian film directors Jafar Panahi and Mohsen Makhmalbaf, lawyer Nisreen Stouda, of Iran's Human Rights Defenders Center in Tehran, lawyer Narges Mohammadi, political activist Hassan Shariatmadari, political figure Abulfadl Qadiani and human rights activist Mohammad Nourizad.

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Nations React to US Strikes on Iran with Calls for Diplomacy

This picture shows a general view of Tehran on June 22, 2025. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP)
This picture shows a general view of Tehran on June 22, 2025. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP)
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Nations React to US Strikes on Iran with Calls for Diplomacy

This picture shows a general view of Tehran on June 22, 2025. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP)
This picture shows a general view of Tehran on June 22, 2025. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP)

The US strike on Iran fueled fears that Israel's war with Tehran could escalate to a wider regional conflict, and other countries began reacting Sunday with calls for diplomacy and words of caution.

US President Donald Trump had said Thursday that he would decide within two weeks whether to get involved. In the end, it took just days, and Washington inserted itself into Israel's campaign with its early Sunday attack.

Here is a look at reactions from governments and officials around the world.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said that Lebanon needs to stay away from any possible regional spillover from the conflict.

“It is increasingly important for us to adhere strictly to the supreme national interest, which is the need to avoid Lebanon being ... drawn into the ongoing regional confrontation in any way,” Salam said in a post on X.

United Nations UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said he was “gravely alarmed” by the use of force by the United States.

“There is a growing risk that this conflict could rapidly get out of control – with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region, and the world,” he said in a statement on the social media platform X. “I call on Member States to de-escalate.”

“There is no military solution. The only path forward is diplomacy.”

New Zealand New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters urged “all parties to return to talks.”

He wouldn't tell reporters Sunday whether New Zealand supported Trump’s actions, saying they had only just happened.

The three-time foreign minister said the crisis is “the most serious I’ve ever dealt with" and that it was “critical further escalation is avoided.”

“Diplomacy will deliver a more enduring resolution than further military action,” he said.

A flash commentary from China's government-run media asked whether the US is "repeating its Iraq mistake in Iran.”

The online piece by CGTN, the foreign-language arm of the state broadcaster, said the US strikes mark a dangerous turning point.

“History has repeatedly shown that military interventions in the Middle East often produce unintended consequences, including prolonged conflicts and regional destabilization,” it said, citing the American invasion of Iraq in 2003.

It said a measured, diplomatic approach that prioritizes dialogue over military confrontation offers the best hope for stability in the Middle East.

South Korea’s presidential office held an emergency meeting on Sunday to discuss the potential security and economic ramifications of the US strikes.

National security director, Wi Sung-lac, asked officials to coordinate closely to minimize any negative impacts on South Korea, emphasizing that the top priority is ensuring the safety of the South Korean people and the continuation of their stable daily lives, according to the presidential office.

Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba was expected to hold a meeting with key ministers Sunday afternoon to discuss the impact of the US strikes, according to Japan’s NHK television.

Japan’s largest-circulation newspaper Yomiuri is distributing an extra edition on the attack in Tokyo.

Australia, which shuttered its embassy in Tehran and evacuated staff Friday, pushed for a diplomatic end to the conflict.

“We have been clear that Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile program has been a threat to international peace and security,” a government official said in a written statement. “We note the US President’s statement that now is the time for peace.”

“The security situation in the region is highly volatile. We continue to call for de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy.”