Malaysia urges restraint in Middle East following U.S. strikes on Iran

Malaysia's foreign ministry on Monday urged all parties to exercise maximum restraint and avoid further escalation in the Middle East following U.S. strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities.

Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan conveyed this to his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi during a meeting in Istanbul, Malaysia's foreign ministry said in a post on X.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim also called for restraint, saying that the involvement of external powers, including the United States, would only make the situation more volatile.

"If the Strait of Hormuz is blocked, it will pose a major problem to the global economy," state news agency Bernama reported on Sunday.