Fear, jubilation, outrage: the world reacts to Israel's attacks on Iran

Israel’s surprise airstrikes on across Iran—confirmed to have killed several senior officials—have triggered a wave of intense reactions from Iranians, experts and politicians ranging from celebration to alarm over the risk of war.

Among those killed was Revolutionary Guards chief Hossein Salami, prompting jubilation from many in the Iranian diaspora. Kaveh Shahrooz, a Canadian human rights lawyer and activist, posted on X:

“His hands dripped with the blood of 176 people aboard flight #PS752. May this be true. May there be a hell for him to burn in,” referring to an airliner shot down by the military unit in Tehran in 2020.

Actress and human rights activist Nazanin Boniadi warned that ordinary Iranians—already caught between an authoritatian government and years of economic pressure—now face the added threat of war.

"There was a 3rd path: strangle the regime, empower the people," Boniadi wrote, "Few committed to it. Now, innocent Iranians—who yearn for freedom—are caught b/w foreign firepower & domestic tyranny."

Former Obama adviser Ben Rhodes also weighed in, calling the strikes senseless and warning of a cycle of violence that could derail any remaining path to diplomacy.

Iran analyst and author Arash Azizi pointed out that a new round of nuclear talks was just days away, arguing that the decision to launch a strike now undermines diplomatic efforts and could plunge the region into broader conflict.

“Even if we take Netanyahu at face value here, Iran was months away from developing a nuclear weapon ... there was a round of diplomatic talks scheduled in THREE DAYS.... what justifies an attack before that?”, Azizi wrote on X.

Democratic Senator John Fetterman responded bluntly to reports of General Hossein Salami’s death, posting “thank u, next” on X after confirmation of the IRGC commander’s killing in the Israeli strikes.