Muslim World’s Response to Israeli Aggression on Iran ‘Painfully Inadequate’: Analyst

IQNA – A Malaysian scholar has criticized the “inadequate” response of Muslim countries when Iran was facing an illegal aggression by the Israeli regime and the United States.

“The response of the Muslim world has been painfully inadequate. While many Muslim nations have issued statements and some have taken diplomatic actions, the level of urgency, coordination, and firmness required in this moment of crisis is lacking,” Mohd Azmi Abdul Hamid, President Malaysia Consultative Council of Islamic Organizations (MAPIM) told IQNA on Wednesday.

The comments come a few weeks after the Israeli regime launched an all-out aggression on Iranian soil on June 13, targeting various military and nuclear sites and assassinating top-ranking military commanders and nuclear scientists, as well as ordinary civilians. The United States also joined the aggression by targeting Iran’s peaceful nuclear facilities in central of the country.

The Iranian Armed Forces, in response, pounded the regime and its military and industrial infrastructure, using new-generation missiles that hit the designated targets with precision. Iran also responded to the US by targeting its’s key airbase in Qatar.

After 12 days, the occupation regime was forced to declare a unilateral ceasefire in a deal proposed by Washington.

What follows is the full text of the interview:

IQNA: How does the Malaysian government view the recent unprovoked US-Israeli military aggression against Iran, particularly the strikes targeting nuclear and civilian infrastructure?

Abdul Hamid: MAPIM strongly condemns the recent illegal and unprovoked military aggression by the United States and Israel targeting Iranian territory — including nuclear and civilian infrastructure. Such actions are a blatant violation of international law, Iran’s sovereignty, and the UN Charter.

The Malaysian government adopted a clear and firm position by issuing an official condemnation and calling for an emergency session at the United Nations and the OIC to address this grave provocation.

Malaysia has not remained silent when international law is being shredded by powerful states acting with impunity. The double standards that allow Israel and the U.S. to act as self-appointed enforcers outside any legal framework has been objected unequivocally.

IQNA: In your assessment, what are the potential consequences of this escalation for regional peace and stability in West Asia and the broader Muslim world?

Abdul Hamid: This escalation threatens to ignite a catastrophic regional war. The deliberate targeting of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure — especially if peaceful in nature — is not only provocative but could invite retaliatory actions that engulf the entire region, including Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and the Persian Gulf states.

Such aggression destabilizes West Asia and undermines efforts toward Palestinian liberation, regional cooperation, and Muslim unity. It risks drawing Muslim nations into a U.S.-Israeli strategic agenda that prioritizes hegemony and regime change over justice and sovereignty.

IQNA: Do you believe the failure of the UN Security Council to condemn the Israeli attacks reflects a structural bias in international institutions? How should Muslim-majority nations respond to such inaction?

Abdul Hamid: Absolutely. The failure of the UN Security Council to act decisively reflects the deep structural bias within the international system — where a few permanent members exercise veto power to shield their allies, no matter the crime. This entrenched bias has allowed Israel to commit decades of occupation, apartheid, and now genocide without consequence.

Muslim-majority nations must no longer plead to a broken system. They must build parallel diplomatic coalitions through the OIC, the Non-Aligned Movement, ASEAN, BRICS, and other multilateral platforms to expose, isolate, and pressure aggressors outside the Western-dominated framework.

IQNA: Iran has formally condemned the silence of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regarding US-Israeli strikes on its nuclear facilities. Shouldn’t the IAEA be equally concerned about attacks on peaceful nuclear infrastructure, regardless of the country?

Abdul Hamid: Yes. The IAEA's silence in the face of attacks on Iran’s declared nuclear facilities is a shocking abdication of its duty. If the IAEA claims to uphold nuclear safety and non-proliferation, then its concern must be non-selective and non-political.

By remaining silent, the IAEA risks destroying its own credibility and reinforcing the perception that international bodies are instruments of Western power rather than neutral guardians of law and security.

IQNA: What role can Malaysia, as a leading Muslim-majority country and a member of the Non-Aligned Movement, play in mobilizing diplomatic efforts against Israel's aggression?

Abdul Hamid: Malaysia has both the credibility and moral standing to lead efforts to confront Israeli aggression through diplomatic, legal, and strategic means. Specifically, Malaysia can:

• Initiate emergency summits through the OIC and NAM.
• Table a resolution at the UN General Assembly under Uniting for Peace.
• Mobilize Global South countries to demand sanctions on Israel and diplomatic isolation.
• Push for the reform of international institutions, especially the veto system of the UN Security Council.

Moreover, Malaysia must spearhead a global “People’s Tribunal on Zionist Crimes” and host a permanent Global South Solidarity Secretariat for Palestine and Iran.

IQNA: Some argue that this moment is a critical test of Muslim unity. Do you believe the Muslim world has responded adequately to Israel's actions, particularly in defense of Iran as a fellow Muslim country?

Abdul Hamid: No, the response of the Muslim world has been painfully inadequate. While many Muslim nations have issued statements and some have taken diplomatic actions, the level of urgency, coordination, and firmness required in this moment of crisis is lacking.

Iran, regardless of theological or geopolitical differences, is a Muslim country facing illegal aggression. To remain silent or indifferent reflects a moral failure and a betrayal of the concept of Ummah solidarity. If Muslim nations cannot unite when one of their own is under attack, the credibility of their institutions is severely undermined.

IQNA: What message does the international community’s silence send to other countries that may consider similar acts of aggression? Are we witnessing a breakdown of international norms?

Abdul Hamid: Yes, we are witnessing a collapse of the post-World War II international legal order. The message is clear: if you are powerful or allied with the West, you can invade, assassinate, and bomb sovereign nations without accountability.

This silence encourages further militarism and lawlessness. It emboldens rogue behavior by other states and dismantles the very norms that were designed to prevent world wars. The impunity enjoyed by Israel and the U.S. sends a dangerous signal that aggression pays, and that international law is only for the weak.

IQNA: In your opinion, what long-term strategies should Muslim nations pursue to ensure that their collective voice is heard, and that such acts of hostility—whether against Palestine, Iran, or others—are not normalized or overlooked?

Abdul Hamid: Muslim nations must move from reaction to strategic vision and institutional power-building. This includes:

1. Establishing an Independent Muslim World Media Network to counter Zionist and Western propaganda.
2. Creating a Muslim Defense and Security Pact to deter aggression and coordinate collective defense strategies.
3. Building economic independence, especially in critical sectors like energy, food security, and technology.
4. Reforming the OIC to become more than a symbolic body — one with enforcement capacity and shared resources.
5. Engaging in coordinated legal action through the ICC, ICJ, and people’s tribunals against war crimes and genocide.
6. Ultimately, Muslim countries must cultivate strategic unity, not just rhetorical solidarity. We must prepare for long-term resistance — intellectually, diplomatically, and structurally — to preserve the dignity, rights, and security of the Ummah.

MAPIM stands ready to work with all just governments, civil societies, and movements to uphold international law, defend the oppressed, and build a multipolar world rooted in justice and dignity.

The views and opinions expressed in this interview are solely those of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect the views of International Quran News Agency.

Interview by Mohammad Ali Haqshenas