Malaysian civil society leaders condemn US-Israel strikes on Iran, urging UN intervention and ceasefire.
PETALING JAYA: A coalition of Malaysian and regional civil society leaders, academics, and parliamentarians has issued a joint statement strongly condemning recent military strikes carried out by the United States and Israel against Iran, warning that the attacks risk triggering a wider and more destructive conflict in the Middle East.
The statement, today, was signed by prominent figures including Nurul Izzah Anwar (pic), executive chairman of Polity; Charles Santiago of ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights; Chee Yoke Ling of the Third World Network; and representatives from the Malaysian Humanitarian Aid and Relief (MAHAR) and Sahabat Alam Malaysia, among others.
The signatories argued that the unilateral military action violated the core principles of the United Nations Charter, which prohibits the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any sovereign state.
“When powerful states bypass collective security mechanisms and act outside established legal frameworks, they weaken the international system designed to preserve peace and security,” the statement read.
Of particular concern were reports of targeted killings of senior Iranian leaders and officials, which the group described as a grave escalation carrying serious legal and moral implications — made more disturbing by the fact that the strikes occurred during the holy month of Ramadan. The statement warned that normalising political assassinations as instruments of statecraft would fundamentally destabilise international relations.
The group also cited reports that US President Donald Trump’s administration officials had privately acknowledged to congressional staff that there was no intelligence indicating Iran had planned to attack US forces first, and that Trump’s stated justifications for the military action were not supported by US intelligence reports.
The statement called on the UN Security Council and General Assembly to convene without delay, demand an immediate ceasefire, and take concrete steps to prevent further escalation. It also referenced reports of more than 150 children killed in Iran, emphasising that civilians must be protected and that international humanitarian law must be upheld.
While firmly condemning the US-Israel strikes, the signatories also urged the Iranian government to exercise restraint and pursue diplomatic solutions rather than retaliatory escalation, stating that multilateral dialogue and confidence-building measures offered a more sustainable path to regional stability.
“This is a truly defining moment for the international community,” the statement concluded.
