KUALA LUMPUR, June 19 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has strongly condemned recent Israeli airstrikes on Iranian territory, calling them “punitive” and “unprovoked” acts that violate international law and undermine diplomatic efforts.

He said the attacks were clearly aimed at derailing ongoing talks and destroying prospects for a peaceful resolution in the region.

“Such actions, carried out with utter impunity, constitute a blatant violation of international law, further eroding the norms that hold the global order together.

“We call on those with power and influence to speak plainly and act decisively to restrain further escalation,” he said during his keynote address at the 38th Asia-Pacific Roundtable (APR) here today.

Also present were Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan and ISIS Malaysia chairman Datuk Prof Dr Mohd Faiz Abdullah.

Turning to Gaza, Anwar expressed grave concern over the ongoing Israeli military campaign, describing it as a tragedy inflicting a devastating toll on a defenceless population.

“The staggering civilian casualties, overwhelmingly women and children, demand far more than pious proclamations of concern.

“They require concerted international action to uphold humanitarian law, secure an immediate ceasefire, and ensure the unfettered delivery of aid to those in desperate need,” he said.

He warned that the credibility of the so-called rules-based international order was “on trial,” and urged global powers to act decisively to prevent further escalation.

On regional dynamics, Anwar noted that similar tensions were emerging across the Asia-Pacific.

“In the Taiwan Strait, the Korean Peninsula and the South China Sea, familiar flashpoints flicker. Here, as ever, we must insist on the primacy of dialogue over disruption, of law over disorder, of restraint over escalation,” he said.

He added that Malaysia envisions a regional security structure that is inclusive, predictable and rule-based — one in which active non-alignment is not just tolerated but enabled to flourish.

“While we do not pretend to be able to reshape the region to fit our ideals, we can act to prevent its worst outcomes. Stability is not guaranteed, but neither is chaos inevitable.

“What we do now – how we manage tensions, balance relationships, and defend our interests – will decide how the region weathers the storms ahead,” he said. — Bernama