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PRIME MINISTER Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has strongly condemned Israel’s latest military strikes on Iran, urging influential global powers to apply “every form of pressure” to prevent further aggression and de-escalate growing tensions in the Middle East.
In a Facebook post on Friday, Anwar described the overnight assault, which reportedly targeted and killed top Iranian military leaders and nuclear scientists, as a reckless act designed to derail ongoing diplomacy between Washington and Tehran.
“We condemn in the strongest possible terms this assault, including the targeted killings of senior Iranian leaders,” Anwar wrote. “It is a grave and rash move that could further aggravate tensions in an already fragile region.”
He added, “Its primary objective is clearly to sabotage ongoing negotiations between the United States and Iran. This occurs at a time when Israel’s actions in Gaza are once again under intense scrutiny, and political pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is mounting.”
“The international community must not allow actions that sabotage diplomacy and threaten global peace,” he stressed.
According to Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency, Israel launched strikes on Tehran and several other cities early Friday.
Among those reportedly killed were Major General Mohammad Baqeri, Chairman of Iran’s Chiefs of Staff; Major General Hossein Salami, Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC); and Major General Gholamali Rashid, Commander of the Khatam al-Anbia Headquarters.
Prominent nuclear scientists, including Islamic Azad University President Mohammad-Mehdi Tehranchi and former Atomic Energy Organisation chief Fereydoun Abbasi, were also reported to have been assassinated. Residential areas were reportedly hit, with eyewitnesses and state media describing civilian casualties, including women and children.
In response to the rising instability, Jordan temporarily closed its airspace, citing “potential risks arising from escalating regional tensions,” according to the country’s Civil Aviation Authority.
Meanwhile, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that there were no increases in radiation levels at Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility, one of the reported targets. The Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant was also reportedly not affected.
“Iranian authorities have informed the IAEA that the Bushehr plant was not targeted and no radiation increase was detected at Natanz,” said Rafael Grossi, head of the UN nuclear watchdog. “We are in contact with Iranian officials and our inspectors in the country.” - June 13, 2025