Malaysia’s envoy to the Holy See warned the escalating conflict in the Middle East risks widening into a global crisis, urging restraint, dialogue, and respect for international law.
“The situation we are witnessing in the Middle East is extremely grave and deeply worrying,” Ambassador Hendy Assan told Fides News Agency, warning it “risks becoming a wider war with very dangerous global consequences humanitarian, political, and even moral.”
He said the impact extends far beyond the region, with “civilians, families, children, and ordinary people” as “the immediate victims,” bearing “the heaviest cost” of decisions they did not make.
Reflecting Malaysia’s foreign policy, Assan said “war can never be considered a solution to political problems,” noting it “almost always multiplies suffering, deepens divisions, and creates wounds that last for generations.”
Malaysia continues to push for “peaceful dialogue, respect for international law, and the protection of human dignity,” which he described as “practical necessities if we want a stable and just international order.”
“It is essential” to “avoid further escalation, and return to diplomatic engagement as quickly as possible,” he said, urging the international community to “renew its commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East.”
Assan said Malaysia supports ASEAN’s commitment to “peace, stability, and a rules-based regional order,” as tensions rise across regions.
He pointed to instability in Southeast Asia, including the conflict in Myanmar and tensions between Thailand and Cambodia, as further signs of the need for sustained dialogue.
“Peace cannot be imposed by force,” he said. “It must be built through courage, dialogue, and mutual recognition,” adding that “the world today does not need more weapons or more confrontation” but “wisdom, patience, and the political will to choose peace over conflict.”
