PEACE-MAKER
As of this writing, the international community was troubled as Israel carried out air strikes in Iran as a response to the latter’s unprecedented drone and cruise missile assaults against the former.
Iran explained its earlier aerial strike on Israel was in retaliation for an Israeli attack against the Iranian diplomatic complex in the Syrian capital, Damascus, which killed several officials including Mohammed Reza Zahedi and Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi, senior commanders in Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The armed conflict between the two countries exploded amid Israel’s six-month-old war against Hamas in Gaza, following the Palestinian militant group’s attack in Israel last Oct. 7 which resulted in the death of more than a thousand people, mostly civilians. Israel’s military offensive in Gaza has reportedly killed more than 34,000 people.
Indeed, the Middle East in on the brink of a full-scale conflict. Some international observers pointed out that it is the first time in 45 years that Iran and Israel exchanged direct attacks against each other’s territory, claiming that in the past, offensives were conducted through proxies.
We hope Iran, Israel, and other concerned parties will exercise restraint to avoid a military conflagration in the Middle East, which would be catastrophic not just in the region but in the world. Already, it is impacting global security, diplomatic relations, and economic stability.
A larger war in the Middle East would be devastating worldwide as the region is home to vast oil reserves and critical shipping lanes. The region provides some 50 percent of the global petroleum supply, including the bulk of Philippine oil imports. As with the Russian war with Ukraine, further conflict has the potential to destabilize oil prices and disrupt supply chains.
We in the Philippines also have more than two million countrymen in the Middle East whose lives and livelihood would be in peril if a full military conflict erupts in the region. There are more than 30,000 Filipinos in Israel and over 2,000 in Iran.
Amid these challenges, finding a peaceful resolution to the Iran-Israeli conflict is an urgent imperative for the international community, especially the United States, United Kingdom, Jordan, Turkey, G7, European Union, and the United Nations. Diplomatic efforts, backed by vigorous international engagement, are essential to prevent the already alarming situation from spiraling out of control. Dialogue, confidence-building measures, and a commitment to addressing the legitimate security concerns of all parties are crucial steps toward easing tensions and fostering stability in the region.
Ultimately, the Iran-Israeli conflict underscores the pressing need for a comprehensive and inclusive approach to addressing the underlying causes of instability in the Middle East. Only through concerted diplomatic efforts and a genuine commitment to dialogue can the cycle of bloody confrontation be broken, paving the way for a more secure and prosperous future for all the peoples of the region.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres is correct in saying that we all have a shared responsibility to work for peace.
And as we have repeatedly stressed, we should never give up on peace, no matter how overly difficult and elusive it may be, as the alternative – war – is much more costly and will make all of us losers.