CROSS-SECTOR LEADERS CONDEMN STRIKES ON IRAN, SEEK UN INTERVENTION

KUALA LUMPUR, March 3 (Bernama) -- A group of political leaders and civil society figures today urged the United Nations (UN) Security Council and General Assembly to convene without delay to press for an immediate cessation of hostilities and take concrete steps to halt further escalation following the US-Israeli attacks on Iran.

In a joint statement, Polity executive chairman Nurul Izzah Anwar, ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights co-chair Charles Santiago, Third World Network executive director Chee Yoke Ling, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin’s professor Prof Dr Mohd Afandi Salleh, Malaysian Humanitarian Aid and Relief president Jismi Johari and Sahabat Alam Malaysia president Meenakshi Raman, condemned the recent military strikes against the sovereign state of Iran.

They said the first salvo in the use of force against another state’s territory without lawful justification undermines the core principles of the UN Charter, which clearly prohibit the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state.

According to the group, unilateral military action of this nature heightens regional instability and risks igniting a wider and more destructive conflict.

“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 erosion of these norms threatens not only the region concerned but the broader global order,” they said.

The group said reports of targeted killings of senior Iranian leaders and officials were particularly disturbing, especially during the holy month of Ramadan, and described the deliberate targeting of leadership figures as a grave escalation carrying serious legal and moral implications.

“Political assassinations must not become normalised instruments of statecraft, as their acceptance would fundamentally destabilise international relations and increase the likelihood of sustained conflict,” they said, adding that restraint and de-escalation are imperative at this critical juncture.

They stressed that the protection of civilians and strict adherence to international humanitarian law must remain paramount, citing reports that over 150 children had been killed in Iran, confirming that the assault did not spare civilians.

The group also urged the Iranian government to exercise measured restraint and to prioritise diplomatic avenues to reduce tensions and safeguard its population.

“Iran has the right to assert its sovereignty and pursue its security within the bounds of international law. However, retaliatory escalation due to the Western Front’s coordinated attack against Iran would risk deepening instability and expanding the conflict,” they said.

They added that engagement through multilateral diplomacy, confidence-building measures and renewed dialogue offers a more sustainable path toward regional stability, describing the situation as a defining moment for the international community.

-- BERNAMA