Twenty-one Arab and Muslim countries, including all members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, have denounced Israel's preemptive strikes on Iran. They have urged de-escalation, nuclear disarmament, and a return to the negotiating table amid rising regional tensions.

The foreign ministers of Egypt, Algeria, Bahrain, Brunei, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, The Gambia, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Mauritania, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Turkiye and the United Arab Emirates issued a joint statement on Monday calling for an end to Israel's hostilities.

They stressed the need to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, and underscored the importance of de-escalation efforts that would lead to a ceasefire and a comprehensive truce, according to Egypt's Middle East News Agency.

The Egypt-initiated statement also noted the importance of creating a Middle East free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction, and called on all countries in the region to accede to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

At the 48th extraordinary meeting of the GCC Ministerial Council on Monday, the bloc called on the international community to continue US-Iran negotiations on the Iranian nuclear issue, mediated by the Sultanate of Oman.

The bloc underscored the importance of maintaining maritime security in the region and confronting activities that threaten regional and global security and stability.

Abdolreza Alami, director of the Asia West East Centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, said the joint statement by Arab and Muslim-majority countries marked an "unprecedented moment of unity" in defense of Iran against aggression.

"These nations recognize that today's aggression against Iran could easily be tomorrow's threat to them," he told China Daily.

On Tuesday, the G7 leaders reaffirmed their backing for Israel. "We reiterate our support for the security of Israel. We also affirm the importance of the protection of civilians," the G7 statement read.

"We have been consistently clear that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon," it added. "We urge that the resolution of the Iranian crisis leads to a broader de-escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, including a ceasefire in Gaza."

Iran slammed the G7 on Tuesday for siding with Israel in its call for "de-escalation".

"The G7 must give up its one-sided rhetoric and tackle the real source of the escalation — Israel's aggression," a foreign ministry spokesman said.

Alami said the G7 statement reflects the deep-rooted double standards that have come to characterize the current global order.

Alami said Israel's attacks on Iran — while Iran was actively engaged in diplomatic negotiations over its nuclear program — are yet another example of how Israel, with full Western backing, has "trampled every moral and legal red line".

"Rather than condemning Israel's illegal actions, the G7 has chosen to blame and isolate the victim, Iran, simply for defending its sovereignty," he said.

"The G7's final statement is not just politically biased — it's a moral failure, exposing the hollowness of international law in the hands of those who should be its defenders," he added.

Agencies contributed to this story.