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Italy's Leader Demands Halt to Mideast 'Permanent State of War'
(MENAFN) Italian President Sergio Mattarella issued a forceful call Wednesday for an immediate halt to what he described as a "permanent state of war" gripping the Middle East, a news agency reported, citing sources at the Quirinale Palace.
During a direct phone call with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Mattarella delivered a sharp rebuke over violence targeting international peacekeeping personnel, declaring that attacks on troops serving in the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) were "unacceptable."
The Italian head of state further stressed the critical importance of upholding freedom of navigation in international waters — a pointed reference to ongoing disruptions that have rattled global shipping lanes amid the regional crisis.
The diplomatic intervention comes as the broader Middle East remains on a knife's edge. Regional hostilities surged following coordinated US and Israeli strikes against Iran on Feb. 28, unleashing a wave of retaliatory attacks from Tehran against Israel and US allies across the Gulf, and triggering the closure of the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.
A fragile ceasefire brokered through Pakistani mediation entered into force on April 8, yet subsequent negotiations in Islamabad failed to yield a durable peace framework. US President Donald Trump later extended the truce indefinitely, without setting a firm deadline.
Diplomatic efforts suffered a fresh blow on Sunday when Iran transmitted Pakistan its formal response to a US peace proposal — only for Trump to swiftly dismiss it as "totally unacceptable," casting renewed doubt over the prospects of a negotiated resolution.
During a direct phone call with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Mattarella delivered a sharp rebuke over violence targeting international peacekeeping personnel, declaring that attacks on troops serving in the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) were "unacceptable."
The Italian head of state further stressed the critical importance of upholding freedom of navigation in international waters — a pointed reference to ongoing disruptions that have rattled global shipping lanes amid the regional crisis.
The diplomatic intervention comes as the broader Middle East remains on a knife's edge. Regional hostilities surged following coordinated US and Israeli strikes against Iran on Feb. 28, unleashing a wave of retaliatory attacks from Tehran against Israel and US allies across the Gulf, and triggering the closure of the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.
A fragile ceasefire brokered through Pakistani mediation entered into force on April 8, yet subsequent negotiations in Islamabad failed to yield a durable peace framework. US President Donald Trump later extended the truce indefinitely, without setting a firm deadline.
Diplomatic efforts suffered a fresh blow on Sunday when Iran transmitted Pakistan its formal response to a US peace proposal — only for Trump to swiftly dismiss it as "totally unacceptable," casting renewed doubt over the prospects of a negotiated resolution.
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