Government is continuing to gauge the potential impact of the Middle East situation on Maldives through active dialogue with bilateral and multilateral partners, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Abdulla Khaleel has said.
Israel launched "preemptive" strikes against Iran on 13 June, hitting nuclear and military sites as well as residential areas, and prompting waves of Iranian missile attacks on Israel.
In an exclusive interview with PSM News, Minister Dr Khaleel said as soon as the situation deteriorated, President Dr Mohamed Muizzu had constituted a special ministerial committee to monitor developments.
According to the Minister, the government, led by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has been in constant dialogue with countries in the region to understand the situation along with continuous consultations with multilateral agencies to find out the steps to be taken and forge a way forward.
"During my recent visit to Turkey, I met with some foreign ministers, including the Iranian foreign minister. We are also working to understand the impact on the Maldives. Our various missions abroad are also in open dialogue with our bilateral and multilateral partners,” he explained.
The Minister also reiterated that the ministry and its missions abroad are closely monitoring the safety and circumstances of Maldivian nationals in the Middle East.
He said parallel efforts are also underway to secure assistance for the Maldives from bilateral and multilateral partners if needed.
Minister Dr Khaleel said in such global conflicts, Maldives will speak out only when it has to, insisting that the priority of the government is to always protect the interests of the country and its people.
“Maldives’ stand has always been that countries should resolve differences through diplomacy and dialogue. Attacking one another is never the path to a peaceful solution,” he said.
Tensions in the region have escalated rapidly. On 13 June, Israel launched airstrikes against Iran, prompting retaliatory attacks from Tehran. The conflict deepened on 22 June, when the United States, the biggest supporter of Israel, launched strikes on Iranian targets.
In response, Iran struck a US military base in Qatar. That incident led several Middle Eastern nations, including Qatar, to temporarily close their airspace. The specific closure introduced after the attack has since been lifted.
Hours after the Iran strike, US President Donald Trump had declared that both Iran and Israel have now agreed to a unilateral ceasefire.
Any cessation in hostilities would come as a huge relief to the rest of the world frantic about an escalation in violence igniting an even wider war.
Israeli strikes on Iran have killed more than 400 people, Iran's health ministry has said.
Iran's attacks on Israel have killed 28 people, according to official figures and rescuers.