Global Leaders Urge Restraint After Iran Retaliates Against U.S.

(Bloomberg) -- World leaders urged restraint and moved to recall their citizens after Iran fired missiles at U.S.-Iraqi airbases in its first counterattack since the killing of General Qassem Soleimani by American forces.

From Asia to the Americas, worries mounted about an armed conflict spinning out of control, as the tensions roiled global markets. The response showed just how little appetite there was among U.S. allies for another outright war in the vital energy-producing region.

Here are some of the reactions:

Australia

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison directed the country’s chief of defense force to take whatever actions were necessary to protect military and diplomatic personnel. Australia provides military training to the Iraqi army, with about 300 personnel in the country.

Canada

General Jonathan Vance, Canada’s chief of the defense staff, said on Twitter that all deployed military forces were “safe and accounted for” following the missile attacks adding, “we remain vigilant.”

China

China expressed concern about the latest developments, saying the country was in close contact with all parties in the region. Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a regular briefing in Beijing that China hoped the situation would soon cool down and pledged to play a constructive role in ratcheting down tensions.

Germany

Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer told ARD television that the German government rejects the aggression in “the strongest possible terms,” and that no German troops were harmed in the Iranian strikes. Berlin had already begun moving military personnel out of Iraq before the attack. Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said in a statement that “for days we’ve been in contact with all sides to bring about calm to the situation.”

Japan

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe decided to cancel a trip to the Middle East planned to start from this weekend due to the turmoil, Kyodo News reported Wednesday. Top government spokesman Yoshihide Suga said the country was deeply concerned about the increased tensions and Tokyo was seeking a diplomatic solution.

India

Indian nationals were advised to avoid all non-essential travel to Iraq until further notice, a foreign ministry spokesman said on Twitter. India, which relies on crude oil from the Middle East to meet almost two-thirds of its needs, reported imports worth $8.35 billion from Iraq in the current fiscal year. The total number of Indians in Iraq is estimated to be between 15,000 and 17,000.

New Zealand

Acting Prime Minister Winston Peters said the government was concerned at the escalation in hostilities and urged restraint and diplomacy. New Zealand has an estimated 45 military personnel at Camp Taji near Baghdad, where they have been training Iraqi troops. The deployment is scheduled to end in June.

Philippines

The Philippines has ordered thousands of its citizens to evacuate from Iraq as the conflict escalates. The Department of Foreign Affairs said it had raised its highest alert level in Iraq, which requires the evacuation of about 6,000 Philippine citizens. President Rodrigo Duterte had told the military to prepare equipment to help them get out.

South Africa

Pretoria is observing developments with “great concern” and urged all governments to “talk through the multilateral organizations that have been set up to deescalate the tensions,” according to the spokesman of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, Lunga Ngqengelele.

South Korea

South Korea’s foreign ministry said it was in contact with Iranian authorities to ensure the safety of its citizens. President Moon Jae-in was closely monitoring the situation, a presidential spokeswoman said.

United Arab Emirates

United Arab Emirates Energy Minister Suhail Al Mazrouei called for restraint from both sides. “We are hoping the wisdom of both sides will de-escalate the tension,” he said, adding that the oil market was well-supplied to weather the storm.

U.K.

The U.K. government denounced the Iranian strike and warned that a new war in the Middle East would fuel terrorism. “We condemn this attack on Iraqi military bases hosting coalition -- including British -- forces,” U.K. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said. “We urge Iran not to repeat these reckless and dangerous attacks, and instead to pursue urgent de-escalation.”

--With assistance from Philip J. Heijmans, Sophie Jackman, Tracy Withers, Jason Scott, Andreo Calonzo, Archana Chaudhary, Tim Ross, Lucille Liu, Iain Rogers and Patrick Donahue.

To contact the reporter on this story: Jihye Lee in Seoul at jlee2352@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Brendan Scott at bscott66@bloomberg.net, Jon Herskovitz, Raymond Colitt

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