By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed deep concern over escalating tensions in the Middle East, calling for dialogue, and stating that self-defence cannot be based on an assumption.
The United States and Israel have attacked targets across Iran. The strikes follow a massive US military build-up in the region over the last few weeks and a series of negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
In a statement posted on social media, US President Donald Trump said: “A short while ago the United States military began major combat operations in Iran.”
He added: “Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime”. He said Iran was pursuing a nuclear weapons programme – a claim denied by Tehran. ‘They can never have a nuclear weapon,” he said.
In a message to “the great, proud people of Iran,” President Trump said: “The hour of your freedom is at hand…when we are finished, take over your government, it will be yours to take. This will be, probably, your only chance for generations.”
Israel said it had also launched what its Defence Minister Israel Katz termed a “pre-emptive attack” against Iran. The Israeli military said it had identified “missiles launched from Iran toward the State of Israel.”
Iran, Iraq, Israel, Syria, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates all announced at least partial closures of their skies in the hours after smoke began rising over Tehran and Iran began retaliatory attacks in the region.
Ramaphosa’s spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said the president has expressed “deep concern” regarding the escalation of tensions in the Middle East.
“These developments pose a serious threat to regional and international peace and security, with far-reaching humanitarian, diplomatic and economic consequences.”
“President Ramaphosa calls on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and to act in a manner consistent with international law, international humanitarian law and the principles of the United Nations Charter,” Magwenya said.
Magwenya added that Article 51 of the UN Charter provides for self-defence only when a state has been subjected to an armed invasion.
“Anticipatory self-defence is not permitted under international law and self-defence cannot be based on assumption or anticipation.”
“Experience has repeatedly demonstrated that there can be no military solution to fundamentally political problems that can and should be resolved diplomatically. Military confrontation has never delivered sustainable peace, nor has it addressed the legitimate grievances that underlie conflict,” Magwenya said.
Magwenya said long-term peace and stability can only be achieved through “inclusive dialogue and a genuine commitment to justice and coexistence”.
Democrats decried that Trump had taken action without congressional authorization. White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said the administration had briefed several Republican and Democratic leaders in Congress in advance.
The U.N. Security Council said it would meet Saturday afternoon. In a letter to the council, said “all bases, facilities, and assets of the hostile forces in the region shall be regarded as legitimate military objectives.”
Iran also requested an urgent session of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Board of Governors about “these threats to safeguarded nuclear facilities,” according to a letter posted by the semiofficial Tasnim news agency.