Anwar calls for ceasefire, fears escalation of Middle East conflict

2026-03-01 - 09:43

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said any provocative actions will only trigger a larger crisis and undermine regional stability. PETALING JAYA: Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has called for an immediate ceasefire following the joint US-Israel attack on Iran, warning that the conflict is dragging West Asia to the “brink of catastrophe”. Iran has carried out airstrikes across the Middle East in retaliation for US and Israeli attacks, raising fears of a wider conflict. In a Facebook post, Anwar said Malaysia urges the US, Israel, and Iran to cease their military action and focus on diplomatic dialogue. “Any provocative actions will only trigger a larger crisis, undermine regional stability, and risk drawing more countries into a conflict that would be difficult to contain,” Anwar said. The US and Israel launched a surprise attack on Iran yesterday, with Iran’s Red Crescent Society stating that more than 20 of Iran’s 31 provinces were affected by the strikes. Iran’s state media today said the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed following an airstrike at his residential complex allegedly carried out by the US and Israel. Iran has fired missiles and drones at the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait – targeting US military bases in these countries – in retaliation for the attacks.