Malaysia PM Denounces Killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei

2026-03-04 11:58:28

(MENAFN) Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Sunday issued an unequivocal denunciation of the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, warning that the assassination risks plunging the Middle East into prolonged and dangerous disorder.

“This act places the Middle East on the edge of grave and sustained instability,” Anwar said in a statement published on X, extending condolences to Iran and its people.

The Malaysian leader did not stop at mourning — he issued a pointed warning to those celebrating Khamenei’s death. “Those who greet his death with approval should recognize the consequences of such actions. Existential threats seldom yield predictable reactions. The deliberate targeting of a head of state sets a dangerous precedent and weakens the norms and principles that underpin the international order,” Anwar added.

Despite his condemnation of the killing, Anwar simultaneously called on Tehran to exercise maximum restraint, endorsing appeals on all parties “to step back from further escalation.”

With Malaysia’s economic exposure squarely in focus, Anwar said Kuala Lumpur will “urgently evaluate the economic repercussions of the conflict, including risks to regional airspace and to freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz,” adding that Malaysia’s trade and energy security are “directly implicated.”

“We will act as necessary to safeguard our national interests,” he said.

Anwar pressed for a swift end to hostilities, demanding an “immediate ceasefire, the protection of civilians and a return to serious dialogue.”

“This crisis cannot be resolved by force. It requires diplomacy, restraint and political will,” he said.

Khamenei, 86, was killed at his office in the early hours of Saturday during a US-Israeli bombardment of the Iranian capital, according to Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, which declared that his death would mark the beginning of a “great uprising against the tyrants of the world.” Tehran confirmed the death early Sunday, announcing 40 days of national mourning.

Before Tehran’s official confirmation, US President Donald Trump had already declared on his social media platform Truth Social that Khamenei was “dead.”

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