Israel-Iran crisis escalates: How has the world reacted?

Israel and Iran traded heavy fire for a third straight day on Sunday, with mounting casualties and expanding targets. Strikes in both countries persisted throughout the day.

The intensity of the exchanges has fueled concerns of a drawn-out conflict that could engulf the Middle East, even as world leaders called for an end to the violence.

Here are some reactions:

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he hopes Israel and Iran can broker a deal, but added that sometimes countries have to fight it out first.

Talking to reporters as he left for the G7 summit in Canada, Trump said the U.S. will continue to support the defense of Israel but declined to say if he had asked the U.S. ally to pause strikes on Iran.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said "urgent action" was needed to prevent the Iran-Israel conflict engulfing the Middle East, in a call with his U.S. counterpart on Sunday.

"President Erdogan hailed the recent comments by U.S. President Trump concerning a resolution of the conflict between Israel and Iran... and stressed that urgent action is needed to prevent a catastrophe that could enflame the whole region," the Turkish presidency said in a statement.

During the call – the two leaders' second in 24 hours – Erdogan said the "spiral of violence unleashed by Israel's attacks on Iran have caused irreparable economic and civil damage to both sides" and called for moves to "halt this dangerous escalation," the statement said.

Erdogan also told Trump, who said on Sunday he would be "open" to Russian President Vladimir Putin acting as a mediator in the conflict, that he would also be ready to "play a role as facilitator."

EU foreign ministers will meet by video link on Tuesday to discuss the Iran-Israel conflict and "possible next steps" aimed at bringing about a de-escalation, an official working with the bloc's foreign policy chief said.

It "will provide an opportunity for an exchange of views, coordination on diplomatic outreach to Tel Aviv and Tehran, and possible next steps."

The official underlined that the EU was committed to "regional security and de-escalation" and would expend "all diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions and to find a lasting solution to the Iranian nuclear issue which can only be through a negotiated deal." 

(With input from Reuters, AFP)