Refrain from further escalating tension in the Middle East

15 April 2024

By Nabalu News Reporter

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia strongly urges all parties in the Middle East region to refrain and exercise great caution not to escalate the already tensed situation.

A statement by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Dato’ Seri Utama Haji Mohamad Haji Hasan said the attacks by Iran today is a response to the illegal bombing by Israel on the Iranian consulate in Damascus on 1 April 2024.

Iran posits that its actions are an act of self - defence and is provided for in accordance of Article 51 of the UN Charter. Once the attacks had ended, Iran through its Permanent Mission at the UN announced it considers its actions against Israel justifiable and "can be deemed concluded".

However, Iran asserts that should the Israeli regime or its allies were to "make another mistake, Iran's response will be considerably more severe" thus creating a never-ending cycle of violence.

Any further form of provocation and/or retaliation could ignite a devastating region-wide conflict that will not serve the region nor the Palestinian cause.

“The international community is also reminded not to lose sight of the objective of ensuring the freedom of the Palestinians and their rights to their own lands.”

Any distraction from this objective is what Israel wants, which is to deflect the global community’s attention from their nefarious inhumane and unconscionable acts in Palestine.

Malaysia further echoes the call by the United Nations Secretary General for an immediate cessation and end of these hostilities. Any form of attack, offensive or defensive, will have consequences that if it spirals out of control, will ultimately lead to the death of many more innocent lives.

The Government of Malaysia urges all parties involved to immediately de-escalate the situation and work towards creating a conducive environment for ending the conflict. Malaysia emphasizes that the primary objective is to seek peace and find a lasting solution to address the plight of the Palestinian people, rather than allowing the conflict to escalate further, he reiterated.