Pretoria: South Africa's presidency has voiced significant concern about the United States' military involvement in the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict, particularly following recent US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.

According to Anadolu Agency, the South African government released a statement on Sunday expressing its "sincerest hope" that US President Donald Trump will leverage his influence to encourage all parties involved to pursue peaceful dialogue. The presidency emphasized the importance of allowing the United Nations to take the lead in resolving the conflict through inspections and verification of Iran's nuclear activities.

The statement follows the US military's targeted strikes on Iran's nuclear infrastructure, including the Fordo facility, using advanced weaponry such as bunker-buster bombs and cruise missiles. President Trump declared the airstrikes "very successful," further escalating tensions in the region.

The strikes involved six bunker-buster bombs deployed by B-2 stealth bombers on the Fordo site and numerous submarine-launched cruise missiles aimed at Natanz and Isfahan facilities. This military action marks the latest development in a series of escalations since June 13, when the US backed an Israeli military assault on Iran, leading to a cycle of retaliatory attacks.

In response, Iranian missile strikes have resulted in at least 25 deaths and hundreds of injuries in Israel, according to Israeli authorities. Concurrently, the Iranian Health Ministry reports that the Israeli assault has claimed 430 lives and wounded over 3,500 individuals in Iran.