
Mindef keeping close eye on Iran-Israel conflict
The Defence Ministry will continue to closely monitor developments in the Iran-Israel conflict, given its potential implications for regional security and national interests, said Defence Minister Khaled Nordin.
He said the situation is alarming as it could escalate into a broader conflict, including disrupting the global supply chains, impacting the world economy, and endangering the safety of Malaysians in the region.

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Borneo Post
an hour ago
- Borneo Post
UAE warns against prolonged Iran-Israel war
Anwar Gargash says the war was 'setting back' the wealthy Gulf region. – AFP DUBAI (June 21): A senior United Arab Emirates official has urged a quick end to the Iran-Israel war, warning of a 'difficult aftermath' if the conflict is prolonged. Anwar Gargash, diplomatic advisor to the oil-rich UAE's President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, said the war was 'setting back' the wealthy Gulf region. 'The longer a war takes, the more dangerous it becomes,' he told journalists in a briefing on Friday. 'I think any extended confrontation or war between Israel and Iran will only bring a very difficult aftermath.' US President Donald Trump has given Iran a 'maximum' of two weeks to negotiate before possible US air strikes, but Tehran said it would not hold talks while under attack. 'De-escalation is extremely important,' Gargash said. 'We still feel that there is a path back to negotiations on these issues.' The Middle East is still dealing with the repercussions of the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, which toppled Saddam Hussein but left the country divided and destabilised. One major risk of the current war is disruption to the Strait of Hormuz between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula, which carries one-fifth of global oil output. 'This war flies in the face of the regional order the Gulf countries want to build, which is focused on regional prosperity,' Gargash said. 'We feel that this is setting us back, not only us in the UAE, but I would say the region.' – AFP Anwar Gargash Iran Israel middle east UAE war

The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Malaysian Embassy in Iran to temporarily cease operations
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Embassy in Iran has been instructed to temporarily cease operations, says Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan. He added that all Malaysian Embassy staff have also been instructed to return home immediately. Mohamad, as reported by Berita Harian, confirmed that many other countries' embassies have done the same following increased tensions in the conflict involving Iran and Israel. "I have instructed all embassy staff, including the ambassador, and all Malaysians have been asked to leave Iran. "However, some are still reluctant to leave, including three students in Qom and one in Isfahan, as they are far from Tehran," he said on Saturday (June 21). Yesterday, Mohamad said the Foreign Ministry had instructed all Malaysians in Iran to leave the country. He stated that Wisma Putra had arranged land transportation for all Malaysians to head to Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. "Since no flights are allowed through Iran at the moment, we have prepared vehicles for them to travel by road to the nearest place. "The journey of 950km is estimated to take 13 hours as it involves crossing mountain ranges," he said in a video shared with Astro Awani.


The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
OPEC+ may advance oil output hike amid Iran-Israel tensions
ST PETERSBURG (Russia): OPEC+ group of leading global oil producers could bring forward its output hikes by around a year from the initial plan, Igor Sechin, head of Russia's largest oil producer Rosneft, said on Saturday. He also said that the decision by the OPEC+ to speed up output increase now looked far-sighted and justified in the light of the confrontation between Israel and Iran. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies, led by Russia, shocked oil markets in April by agreeing a bigger-than-expected output hike for May despite weak prices and slowing demand. OPEC+ has since decided to continue with more than planned hikes. 'The announced increase in production since May of this year is three times higher than the alliance's initial plan. In addition, the entire increase in OPEC+ production could be shifted a year ahead of plan,' he said without elaborating. 'The decision taken by OPEC leaders to forcefully increase production looks very far-sighted today and, from the market's point of view, justified, taking into account the interests of consumers in light of the uncertainty regarding the scale of the Iran-Israel conflict,' he added. OPEC+ crude output represents about 41% of global oil production. The group's main objective is to regulate the supply of oil to the global market. Having spent years curbing production, eight OPEC+ countries made a modest output increase in April before tripling it for May, June and now July. Besides the 2.2 million bpd cut that the eight members started to unwind in April, OPEC+ has two other layers of cuts that are expected to remain in place until the end of 2026. Oil prices had initially fallen in response to the OPEC+ decision to increase oil production, but the outbreak of an aerial war between Israel and Iran has so far been the main factor behind their return to around $75 per barrel, levels unseen since the start of the year. Speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Sechin, a long-standing ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, also said there will be no oil glut long-term despite the production rise due to low stockpile levels, though rising usage of electric vehicles in China might hit oil demand. Putin said on Friday he shared OPEC's assessment that demand for oil will remain high. He also said that oil prices had not risen significantly due to the conflict between Iran and Israel, and that there was no need for OPEC+ to intervene in oil markets. Sechin also said Rosneft had already budgeted the oil price of $45 per barrel for this year, the level the European Union eyes as the new price cap on Russian oil imports, which is now set at $60.