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- Malaysian Reserve
Malaysia condemns US' illegal strike on Iran's nuclear facilities
The move was a breach of international law and a violation of Iranian rights under the Nuclear-Non-proliferation Treaty
by AUFA MARDHIAH
THE US continues to intensify tensions with its swift responses whenever Israel calls for support.
On June 22, it carried out coordinated air strikes on Iran's nuclear sites — Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan, calling it a 'successful' operation to dismantle Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity.
The illegal attack was unprecedented against a civilian nuclear site and globally condemned as being responsible for risking the lives of millions of inhabitants of the entire region.
Iranian authorities said the sites had been evacuated in advance and no radiation leaks were detected. However, more than 600 people have been killed and 3,500 injured since Israel's bombing campaign began on June 13, according to Iran's Health Ministry.
Following the attack, Tehran condemned the move as a breach of international law and a violation of its rights under the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT).
The situation raised fears of a wider war, but a ceasefire was later brokered with US' help, albeit it was not a unilateral declaration, and support from regional mediators like Qatar.
Both Israel and Iran confirmed they would stop fighting — on the condition that the other side does the same.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had met its military goals and agreed to the truce with US coordination while Iran responded more cautiously, with President Masoud Pezeshkian saying Tehran would respect the ceasefire if Israel did.
Iran's leadership framed the pause as a result of its military strength, not a diplomatic concession.
Meanwhile, Malaysia supports the ceasefire but defends Iran's right to self-defence. On June 24, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said Iran would stop military action if Israel ends its attacks on Palestinian and Iranian territories.
He said Pezeshkian conveyed the message during a phone call, and urged Muslim countries not to fall for biased narratives about the conflict.
Anwar condemned the recent Israeli and US attacks, calling them violations of international law that have killed civilians, military leaders and scientists.
He also welcomed Iran's willingness to seek peace with all parties, including the US and Israel, if fairness and sovereignty are respected.
Nuclear Treaty Rights Violated
Geo-strategist Prof Azmi Hassan described US' action as illegal and undermines the global non-proliferation treaty framework.
He said Iran, as a signatory of the NPT, has the right to pursue a civilian nuclear programme, and under the international law, US has no authority to curtail the treaty members from developing their own nuclear programme.
While some feared an escalated war, he said the prospect of a full-blown regional conflict was unlikely, citing the US' call for a ceasefire just hours after Iran attacked US' airbase in Qatar on June 23. No casualties were reported.
'Everybody has learned a lesson. The US cannot just bomb and expect Iran to surrender. Nobody — including the US, Iran or Israel — wants a full-blown war in the region,' he told The Malaysian Reserve (TMR).
Azmi said the air strikes were irresponsible, and had Iran not pre-emptively moved its enriched uranium to safer locations, the attack could have caused radiation leaks.
When asked if the strike was in line with US President Donald Trump's typical approach to foreign policy, Azmi said, 'there's nothing consistent about Trump', suggesting the decisions were driven by instinct and domestic popularity rather than long-term strategy.
'His announcement of a truce between Iran and Israel — likely made without consulting either party — shows he is acting on impulse,' he added.
On ASEAN's role, Azmi said Malaysia has already voiced support for a ceasefire, but called for broader dialogue involving all global powers.
'We hope the superpowers — China, Russia, the UK, France and Germany — can come together to pressure Iran, Israel and the US to talk. That's the least Malaysia and ASEAN can do,' he said.
Illegal Under International and US Law
Political analyst Rizal Hamdan described US' air strikes as a violation of both the international law and its Constitution.
He emphasised that Trump had 'no legal basis to authorise the attack', as it was carried out without the approval of Congress and without any direct threat against US interests.
The War Powers Resolution of 1973 clearly limits the president's power to launch military action without authorisation from lawmakers. The air strike also breached Article 51 of the United Nations (UN) Charter, which permits self-defence only in the event of an armed attack.
On top of that, Rizal also pointed out that the US intelligence community had, as recently as March, assessed that Iran was not developing nuclear weapons — which makes the strikes 'illegal under international law'.
While Washington described the operation as a pre-emptive move to dismantle Iran's nuclear capacity, Rizal warned that it risked destabilising the region further and could potentially endanger hundreds of millions of lives.
'The attack will never resolve the conflict — it will prolong it. Iran's allies like the Houthis, Hezbollah and Hamas will be drawn into this.
'The Gulf states will be caught in the middle, especially as Tehran is already moving toward closing the Strait of Hormuz,' he said.
Any disruption to the oil supply chain would trigger global price shocks and deepen geopolitical volatility. This will result in the increasing of oil prices globally.
'If the conflict isn't mediated diplomatically, I'm worried it will turn into a full-scale war that tears the Middle East apart for a decade — just like Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq,' he added.
While he does not believe the world is entering a new Cold War, he indicated that the current conditions resemble a period of growing geopolitical uncertainty.
'The new Cold War required a proxy war. Iran is not being openly assisted by China or Russia,' he said.
However, he said there is a possibility of a pre-World War III — pointing to the ongoing war on the Ukraine-Russia front, the Middle East and the current conflict boiling in the East (threat perception of China annexing Taiwan).
On Malaysia's role, Rizal called for neutrality, but stressed that it does not mean silence.
'Malaysia and ASEAN must remain neutral, but also push for conflict mediation and humanitarian support through platforms like the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the UN,' he said.
Rizal emphasises that Trump has no legal basis to authorise the attack (Source: Rizal's X)
Dangerous Precedent
Clean Energy Xpeditors Sdn Bhd (Cenergy) director Dr Azrudi Mustapha described the air strikes on Iran's enrichment facilities as reckless and potentially destabilising to global nuclear security frameworks.
He said while the targeted sites at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan are believed to be uranium enrichment facilities, their exact status — whether declared as civilian or military — remains unclear to the public.
'We don't know for sure if these are declared facilities. Possibly only Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) would have that information,' he told TMR.
Still, he said the attacks on nuclear sites, especially those potentially operating under the NPT, could severely damage trust in international safeguards.
'It is unwise to target facilities that have been declared as part of a civilian nuclear programme under the NPT, which Iran has signed. If countries complying with the treaty are still attacked, others will begin to question the value of remaining within the system,' he said.
Although the US bombing targeted uranium enrichment facilities, which do not contain high-level radioactive materials such as nuclear waste or fission products, Azrudi explained that the stored material — uranium hexafluoride (UF6) — poses chemical hazards.
'UF6 is highly corrosive and, if leaked, can cause severe skin burns and kidney damage. But the danger is localised and unlikely to lead to regional contamination,' he said.
While Azrudi did not believe the US had triggered a nuclear disaster in this instance, he cautioned that others may now feel emboldened to attack nuclear power plants, which could be catastrophic.
'We've already seen examples of this at Zaporizhzhia in 2024. Attacks on nuclear power plants don't win wars. They only inflame public outrage and normalise high-risk targeting,' he said.
Nevertheless, Azrudi, who works in civilian nuclear energy focused on clean power, said the attack marks a troubling shift in how nuclear sites are viewed during conflict. He further described the strike as both 'reckless and dangerous'.
Geramm Urges Protection of Press Freedom
Through journalists' lens, Gerakan Media Merdeka (Geramm) warned that the rising tensions in the Middle East, particularly after US air strikes on Iran's nuclear sites, underscore both the geopolitical risks and the serious threats faced by journalists reporting from the region.
Citing data from Reporters Without Borders and the Committee to Protect Journalists, Geramm president Radzi Razak noted that as of June 2025, over 100 journalists and media workers — many of them Palestinian — have been killed since the Gaza-Israel conflict began in October 2023.
He described the period as one of the deadliest for the media in modern history.
Radzi also criticised recent moves by Israeli authorities to ban Al Jazeera and restrict foreign media access, calling such measures deeply troubling, and that it not only limits transparency in times of war but directly suppresses the public's right to know.
'These blanket bans are a form of censorship that go against the very principles of press freedom and accountability — especially in a conflict where misinformation is rampant and civilian lives are at stake,' he told TMR.
Nevertheless, Geramm stands in solidarity with journalists risking their lives on the ground and calls on all parties — including the US, Israel and Iran — to ensure the safety and neutrality of the press.
'War should never be an excuse to silence the press. Instead, it is precisely in moments of violence and confusion that independent journalism becomes most vital,' he added.
A satellite image showing destroyed buildings at the Isfahan nuclear technology centre after recent airstrikes (pic: AFP/Maxar Technologies)
Qatar Calm Despite Drone Strike
Meanwhile, a Malaysian living in Doha said the situation in Qatar remains calm and largely unaffected, despite Iran's missile strike on the US Al Udeid Air Base located about 30km from the capital.
Amir Hamzah Abdullah said businesses were advised to close early on June 23 as a precaution, but operations have since returned to normal.
'There was no panic. Flights at the airport were only delayed, not cancelled, and resumed regular operations the following morning,' he shared with TMR.
He added that the Iranian government had notified Qatari authorities a day before the strike, and US forces had already evacuated the base prior to the attack.
'The strike was targeted, not like the missile attacks on Israel. It didn't disrupt the city,' he said.
Amir also noted that BRICS nations have been increasing financial investments in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) since early 2025, and said there was no sign of economic instability on the ground.
'It's business as usual here,' he said.
However, Qatar's government issued a strong condemnation of the Iranian attack. In an official statement on June 23, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the strike a 'flagrant violation of Qatar's sovereignty, its airspace, international law and the UN Charter.'
It also reaffirmed that Qatar reserves the right to respond accordingly under international law, though its air defences had successfully intercepted the incoming missiles.
The government warned that continued military escalation could destabilise the region and urged all parties to return to dialogue and diplomacy.
Qatar also reiterated its long-standing position against Israeli aggression and called once again for peaceful solutions to regional conflicts.
At Press Time
On June 25, regional media reported that Iran's Parliament passed a bill to suspend cooperation with the IAEA, pending approval from its Supreme National Security Council.
Trump, meanwhile, claimed the ceasefire between Iran and Israel is 'going very well', despite rejecting an intelligence report suggesting the US bombings had merely set back Iran's nuclear programme by several months rather than destroying it entirely.
Both Iran and Israel have since declared victory in the 12-day conflict, with celebrations erupting in Tehran and Netanyahu calling it a 'historic triumph'.
Iran's Health Ministry reported that at least 610 people, including 13 children, were killed and over 3,000 injured since Israel began its offensive on June 13. In Israel, at least 28 people were killed in Iranian retaliatory strikes.
This article first appeared in The Malaysian Reserve weekly print edition
