Kuala lumpur: Malaysia has urged the United States (US) and Iran to pursue a diplomatic off-ramp rather than further escalation. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim also called on the international community to act with urgency and without double standards. Anwar stressed that an immediate and unconditional cessation of hostilities is imperative.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the Israeli strikes on Iran, and the American military action that has accompanied them, bring the Middle East to the edge of catastrophe. Anwar stated that Israel's initiation of these strikes was an attempt to sabotage ongoing negotiations and to drag other nations into a conflict that could prove impossible to contain.

The Prime Minister has expressed concern over the safety of Malaysians in Iran and elsewhere in the region, adding that the government will be in touch with regional partners on the next steps in this regard.

Tensions in the Middle East escalated sharply as the US and Israel launched attacks on Saturday, with Israel describing it as a 'pre-emptive strike' against its arch-enemy to eliminate threats. The strikes came after the US significantly increased its military build-up in the region to pressure Tehran to scale down its nuclear programme, and following a crackdown in Iran on widespread protests.