Finnish leaders responded on Sunday morning to news that Iran had launched more than 300 drones and missiles at Israel overnight. Israel said that nearly all of them were intercepted, reporting little damage on the ground.
"Finland strongly condemns Iran’s reckless attack on Israel. It is now of utmost importance to de-escalate. Finland calls on all parties to show restraint," President Alexander Stubb wrote in English in a social media post at 8am.
Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP) echoed the same wording in an identical post a minute later. Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen (NCP) reposted the president's message.
Later Valtonen said that as part of the international community, Finland striving to do everything it can to ensure that no further actions are taken.
"This is the first time that Iran, as a state actor, has launched an attack, and we hope that this will really stop here," Valtonen said.
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said that the EU strongly condemns the "unacceptable Iranian attack against Israel".
"This is an unprecedented escalation and a grave threat to regional security," the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy added.
Ministry issues travel warning
Tehran's attacks late on Saturday, launched after a suspected Israeli air strike on its embassy compound in Damascus on April 1 that killed officers of the elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, have raised the threat of a wider regional conflict.
A day earlier, national airline Finnair announced that it would re-route flights around Iranian airspace amid expectations of such an attack.
On Friday, the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned Finns against traveling to Iran, Israel, the Palestinian Territory and other nearby countries due to the heightened security risk.
16.24: Added Valtonen comments.
