SAO PAULO, Feb 28 (Reuters) - The Brazilian government on Saturday condemned US-Israel attacks on Iranian targets and expressed grave concern over the military action.

"The attacks occurred amid a negotiation process between the parties, which is the only viable path to peace, a position traditionally defended by Brazil in the region," the government said in a statement.

The Brazilian government appealed to all parties to respect international law and exercise maximum restraint to avoid escalating hostilities and protect civilians.

MOSCOW, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Russia on Saturday criticised U.S. President Donald Trump and Israel for embarking on a dangerously irresponsible attack on Iran which Moscow said was plunging the entire Middle East into the abyss.

The United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, targeting its leadership and plunging the Middle East into a new conflict that Trump said would end a security threat to the U.S. and give Iranians a chance to topple their rulers.

Feb 28 (Reuters) - Israel and the United States launched strikes on Iran on Saturday, plunging the Middle East into a renewed military confrontation as President Donald Trump vowed to destroy Tehran's missilearsenal and prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon.

Below is international reaction to the attacks:

DMITRY MEDVEDEV, DEPUTY CHAIRMAN OF RUSSIA'S SECURITY COUNCIL

MOSCOW, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom has evacuated nearly 100 people from Iran, but its personnel remain at the Bushehr nuclear power plant, the company said on Saturday, citing CEO Alexei Likhachev.

The United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on Saturday, targeting its leadership and plunging the Middle East into a new conflict.

Rosatom said it had evacuated all employees' children, as well as "non-essential staff" and anyone who wished to leave the country - a total of 94 people.

PARIS, Feb 28 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday called for an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council, saying the outbreak of a war between the United States, Israel and Iran has "serious consequences" for international peace and security.

"The current escalation is dangerous for everyone. It must stop. The Iranian regime must understand that it now has no other option but to engage in good-faith negotiations to end its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, as well as its actions to destabilize the region," Macron said on X.

By Alexander Cornwell

TEL AVIV, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Israel banned public gatherings, shut schools and workplaces and moved hospital patients to underground facilities on Saturday as Tehran launched missiles towards Israel in retaliation for a joint U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran.

Defence Minister Israel Katz declared a state of emergency across the country, warning the public of Iranian missile and drone attacks.

Feb 28 (Reuters) - Global airlines cancelled flights across the Middle East on Saturday after the United States and Israel launchedstrikes on Iran, plunging the region into a new conflict.

Airspace over Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, Bahrain and Jordan was empty early on Saturday, maps by flight-tracking service Flightradar24 showed. The European Union's aviation regulator recommended that its airlines stay out of the airspace affected by the military intervention.

Below is the latest on flights listed by airline in alphabetical order:

DUBAI, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Several Gulf Arab states said they were targeted by Iranian missiles on Saturday after Tehran pledged to retaliate against strikes by the United States and Israel, bringing conflict to a part of the Arab world that prides itself on relative safety.

State media in the United Arab Emirates said one person had been killed in Abu Dhabi, but gave no details.

Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE, and Jordan, all of which have a U.S. military presence, said they had intercepted the Iranian missiles.

BRUSSELS, Feb 28 (Reuters) - NATO is closely following developments in Iran and the region, NATOspokesperson Allison Hart said on Saturday.

(Reporting by Lili Bayer, Editing by Charlotte Van Campenhout)

By Parisa Hafezi

DUBAI, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Long queues formed at gas stations and many Iranians began heading out of cities in search of safety, witnesses said, as an attack by the United States and Israel on Iran spread fear and panic throughout the country.

Explosions rocked Tehran and columns of smoke rose into the sky on Saturday morning, shaking the city at the start of the Iranian working week. One man, speaking to Reuters from the capital, said he was rushing to get his children from school.