PRIME MINISTER Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim voiced grave concern over rising tensions between the United States and Iran, warning that the growing concentration of military assets and increasingly absolutist rhetoric could push an already volatile situation towards open conflict.
He cautioned that any confrontation between Washington and Tehran would reverberate far beyond the two countries, with repercussions across an already fragile Middle East.
These include the risk of proxy escalation, threats to maritime security and severe economic shock extending well beyond the region.
“No strategic interest could justify such human and material devastation that such conflict would entail,” he posted on Facebook.
Anwar stressed that the imperative of peace must prevail over all other considerations, calling on all parties to step back from the brink and recommit to diplomacy with seriousness and urgency.
He urged the use of all available channels of communication to prevent further deterioration of the situation.
The prime minister also commended Oman’s constructive efforts to facilitate dialogue and appealed to countries with influence to employ every available means to promote de-escalation and exercise utmost restraint in the interest of regional and international stability.
His remarks come amid international media reports that the Iranian government is bracing for a fresh US and Israeli missile assault following the deployment of key assets from the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group to the region. - January 28, 2026
