Multiple countries expressed concerns after the United States and Israel on Saturday launched "major combat operations" against Iran, and after Iran retaliated with a series of counterattacks against Israeli and U.S. targets across the region.
Iran's state media confirmed Sunday that its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a joint U.S.-Israeli attack on Saturday, prompting Iranian missile strikes on Israel and U.S. targets across the region.
The Iranian Red Crescent Society said that the strikes hit at least 24 of Iran's 31 provinces, with 201 deaths and 747 injuries reported so far.
The latest escalation in this war-torn region has triggered urgent calls for restraint from the international community.
On Saturday evening, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the military strikes against Iran launched by the U.S. and Israel, urging all parties to remain rational and maintain restraint, and to resolve their differences through dialogue and negotiation.
Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla, the foreign minister of Cuba, said that the attacks by the U.S. and Israel on Iran violate Iran's sovereignty and territorial integrity, labeling such actions as "irresponsible" and detrimental to international peace and security.
Yemen's Houthi group said on Saturday that attacks on Iran are part of a broader effort to undermine regional deterrence, warning that the United States and Israel would bear responsibility for the escalation and its impact on regional security.
Yemen's internationally recognized government warned against any Houthi military action in support of Iran or any attempt to use Yemeni territory to strike neighboring countries or international targets.
Jordanian government Spokesman Mohammad Momani said that Jordan's position is clear: the escalation of the regional situation must be stopped. He emphasized that Jordan will not involve in any regional conflict and is not a party to such conflict, asserting that the country will never allow anyone to infringe upon its sovereignty. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said that Spain rejects the unilateral military action taken by the United States and Israel, warning that it represents an escalation and contributes to a more uncertain and hostile international order.
Additionally, the governments of the UK, France, the Netherlands, and other countries have said they are closely monitoring the current situation, urging all parties to exercise restraint and prevent further escalation. On Saturday, Lebanon's Hezbollah issued a statement strongly condemning the aggression by the United States and Israel against Iran, accusing them of violating international law and escalating the tensions in the region.
Multiple countries voice concerns, call for restraint following U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran
Researchers at China's Chongqing University recently announced that a butterfly has successfully emerged from its pupa while orbiting Earth, yielding valuable data on biological survival in the harsh microgravity environment of space.
The butterfly chrysalis was sealed inside a small experimental space ecosystem payload developed by the university's research team and carried into space aboard the Kuaizhou-11 Y8 carrier rocket on Dec. 13, 2025.
Photos taken in space show the emerged butterfly moving inside the capsule, resting on leaves, and fluttering its wings, demonstrating notable adaptation to microgravity.
In order to witness the emergence of butterflies from their chrysalises in space, Professor Xie Gengxin of Chongqing University led a research team to conduct multiple rounds of screening and ultimately selected Swallowtail butterflies as the test subjects.
The selected butterfly species take approximately one to two weeks to transition from larvae to pupae and then to adult butterflies, which aligns with the duration of this on-orbit experiment. Additionally, the chrysalis's structure must withstand the various shocks encountered before and during launch.
"On the day of the launch, there will be intense vibrations. Therefore, when selecting the animals, we had to choose a species capable of enduring the two-week period of darkness and stillness before the launch while also being able to withstand the impact. In the end, we discovered that butterfly chrysalises were a relatively ideal target," said Qiu Dan, deputy chief engineer of the butterfly experiment payload.
The research team's payload, "Shennong Kaichu 2," serves as the "space home" for the butterfly chrysalises. It has a total mass of 8.3 kilograms and an internal usable space of 14.2 liters. In addition to the butterfly chrysalises, the research team also placed a chili plant, soil, water, and other materials inside the payload.
"With leaves on the chili plant, when sunlight shines in, it can carry out photosynthesis and produce oxygen for the little butterfly. We also introduced some microorganisms into the soil. On one hand, they help improve the soil; on the other hand, they can regulate oxygen and carbon dioxide levels while also purifying the air," said Xie, who is also the chief engineer of the butterfly experiment payload.
Data frameshifted back from the space show that technical indicators inside the sealed cabin of the "Shennong Kaiwu-2" payload, including pressure, temperature, and humidity, have remained stable and normal.
The successful hatching and flight of the butterfly in a microgravity environment not only verified the resilience of life on Earth but also provided important reference for life-support technologies in future long-term deep-space exploration.
Chinese space experiment sees butterfly emerge from in orbit
