Kuala Lumpur, 2 September 2026 – Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has urged the United States and Iran to halt further escalation and return immediately to diplomacy as renewed strikes threaten to widen the conflict across the Middle East. He warned that attacks extending beyond the immediate parties could draw other states into a more destructive confrontation, expose civilians to greater harm and undermine the understandings reached in June. Malaysia’s intervention places sovereignty and political negotiation at the centre of its response.
The appeal comes as energy and financial markets react to renewed hostilities around a region critical to global oil and shipping flows. Higher crude prices can benefit producers, but they also raise costs for importers, airlines, manufacturers and households. For Asian economies, disruption near the Strait of Hormuz is especially consequential because many rely on Middle Eastern energy. A prolonged conflict could widen trade deficits, revive inflation and complicate central-bank decisions.
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