PETALING JAYA: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has urged the United States and Iran to pursue a diplomatic off-ramp, rather than further escalation, following the Israeli strikes on Iran accompanied by American military action reported earlier on Saturday (Feb 28).
The Prime Minister has also called for the international community to act with urgency and without double standards.
“Israel’s initiation of these strikes was a vile attempt to sabotage ongoing negotiations and to drag other nations into a conflict that could prove impossible to contain,” said Anwar, who added that the strikes have brought the Middle East to the “edge of catastrophe”.
The Prime Minister also expressed his concern for the safety of Malaysians in Iran and elsewhere in the region, stating that he will be in touch with regional partners on the next steps on this matter.
Meanwhile, PKR International Affairs Bureau chairman Dr Maszlee Malik has issued a statement unequivocally condemning the military aggression from the US and Israel against Iran, saying that the act is a flagrant violation of international law and the UN charter.
He points to Article 2(4) of the UN Charter, which prohibits the use of force against the territorial integrity of any state.
“This dangerous escalation threatens regional and global stability, particularly in an already volatile West Asia.
“The world needs peace, not more wars.
“We vehemently reject foreign military intervention and the subjugation of a nation's right to self-determination,” he said.
As such, he said they demand an immediate cessation of all hostile military actions against Iran, full respect for Iran’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in accordance with the UN Charter and decisive action by the UN Security Council to halt this aggression and uphold international peace.
“We call upon the United States and Israel to cease hostilities and choose the path of diplomacy and peaceful coexistence,” said Maszlee.
This comes after it was reported earlier today that Israel had launched an attack on Iran’s capital, while a US official confirmed the United States was also participating in the strikes.
