Global Tensions Escalate As US-Israel Strikes On Iran Spark Retaliation, Regional Shockwaves

By Zarul Effendi Razali

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 28 (Bernama) -- Hopes for a diplomatic breakthrough between the United States (US) and Iran over the ongoing nuclear negotiations quickly gave way to open conflict on Saturday, as military strikes and retaliatory attacks triggered widespread disruption across the Middle East, prompting urgent international calls for restraint.

On Friday, Anadolu Ajansi reported that Oman’s Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi said US-Iran nuclear talks had reached an agreement on “zero stockpiling” of enriched uranium, describing it as “something completely new” compared to the previous nuclear deal negotiated under former US President Barack Obama.

“The single most important achievement, I believe, is the agreement that Iran will never, ever have nuclear material that will create a bomb,” Albusaidi told CBS, expressing confidence that a peace deal is within reach if diplomacy is given “the space it needs to get there.”

The two sides were supposed to hold technical talks next week. 

However, US President Donald Trump struck a cautious tone, saying Washington faced “a big decision to make” on Iran, saying that he was “not happy” with the way talks were progressing and did not rule out military action.

Within hours, Israel launched what it described as a “pre-emptive strike” against Iran. Loud explosions were reported across Tehran and several other cities including Isfahan, Qom, Karaj and Kermanshah, prompting Iranian authorities to subsequently close the country’s entire airspace until further notice.

According to Iranian officials, the US joined Israel in the attacks, with strikes reported across Tehran, including near the residence of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was believed to have been evacuated, the German Press Agency (dpa) reported.

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian had earlier warned of an all-out war if Khamenei was targeted.

Iran’s Health Ministry spokesman Hossein Kermanpour wrote on social media X, saying that at least 60 children were killed and 80 others injured when a rocket hit a school in southern Iran.

Iran responded by launching attacks on four US military sites in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), targeting Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait, Al Dhafra Air Base in the UAE and the US naval fleet in Bahrain, according to several foreign news agencies. A wave of missiles was also launched towards Israel.

The UAE confirmed it was hit by a ballistic missile attack, stating that its air defence systems intercepted a number of missiles with high efficiency. One civilian of Asian nationality was killed by falling debris. Bahrain reported a missile strike on a service centre with the US Fifth Fleet, while Qatar said it had successfully intercepted a second wave of attacks.

Airspace closures rippled across the region, with Iran, Iraq, the UAE and several neighbouring countries imposing restrictions. Flydubai reported disruptions to flights to Iran and Israel, while Saudi Airlines temporarily cancelled several flights. Flight tracking website Flightradar24 said Muscat International Airport was temporarily closed.

Cyberattacks further compounded the crisis, with multiple Iranian news sites and local applications disrupted. Internet monitor NetBlocks reported that national connectivity in Iran had dropped to four per cent, indicating a near-total internet blackout.

Malaysia joined international calls for de-escalation. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim called for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, warning that the strikes had brought the Middle East “to the edge of catastrophe.”

“Israel’s initiation of these strikes was a vile attempt to sabotage ongoing negotiations and to drag other nations into a conflict that could prove impossible to contain,” he said in a statement on Facebook, while expressing concern over the safety of Malaysians in the region.

In a separate statement, the Malaysia Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the attacks against Iran and subsequent retaliatory strikes on Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE, Kuwait and Qatar, urging all parties to exercise maximum restraint and called on the international community, including the UN, to take urgent action to restore peace and stability.

Indonesia offered to facilitate dialogue between Washington and Tehran, with its Foreign Ministry said President Prabowo Subianto was ready to mediate and, if agreed by both parties, “is willing to travel to Tehran to conduct mediation.”

In Brussels, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa described developments as “greatly concerning,” urging all parties “to exercise maximum restraint, to protect civilians, and to fully respect international law.

As technical talks between the US and Iran remain scheduled in Vienna, the rapid turn from diplomatic optimism to military confrontation underscores the fragility of negotiations and the widening risks of a broader regional conflict.

-- BERNAMA