Legitimate demands of R4

PAKISTAN, Turkiye, Egypt and Saudi Arabia have called for a diplomatic solution to the military conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran, backed the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and demanded the swift resumption of safe and unimpeded passage through the Strait of Hormuz. The group of the four countries called R4 (Regional Four) made the call in a joint statement issued after their Foreign Ministers met in Istanbul on October 23 to discuss regional issues of mutual concern. The Ministers said their discussions were guided by a shared commitment to diplomatic efforts and the promotion of peace and stability in the region and beyond, in line with the principles and purposes of the United Nations Charter.

The world is at the brink of a major disaster due to the stubborn attitude of both the United States and Iran and with this in view the demands made by the R4 deserve serious consideration by all stakeholders for the sake of regional and global peace and security. There is a general impression that both the countries are violating the spirit of the Islamabad Accord and instead try to gain concessions from each other through pressure tactics that have not yielded results intended by them. It is widely believed that this war of nerves has stretched to the maximum and an open conflict could explode anytime as is also indicated by statements of the leadership of both the United States and Iran. President Donald Trump, who is known for his mercurial statements, told an election rally on Friday that the US war with Iran could end soon, while suggesting Tehran could be weakened further before Washington shifts its focus to Cuba. He also warned that the US could launch another wave of military action.

There were also reports and threats of use of ‘mother of all bombs’ against Iranian nuclear sites and infrastructure. On the other hand, Iran, as usual, threatens to respond by expanding the war to neighbouring Gulf countries, insisting it will hit their oil facilities, under-sea cables and IT hubs in the region. In this backdrop, the R4, which played an important role in the initiation of the diplomatic process that ultimately led to signing of an accord in Islamabad, has done well by urging the warring sides to revert back to the negotiating table as intensification of war is unlikely to offer any solution. Instead, it will complicate the situation further and make it difficult to contain the conflict because of the intricacies involved. The R4 statement also stressed the importance of freedom of navigation, permanent maritime safety and security and the protection of navigational rights and freedoms besides calling for an end to attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure.

The Ministers also rejected any measures or restrictions that impair lawful navigation, calling for the “swift and full resumption of safe, secure and unimpeded passage through the Strait of Hormuz”. They also condemned continued Houthi strikes against Saudi Arabia, particularly attacks targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure as well as attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The R4 also called on the Houthi militia to immediately cease all military actions, threats and attacks and return to the political process in good faith. As the world is focusing on the widening conflict due to Houthi actions and the possibility of resumption of military action in Iran as well as the impact of the evolving situation on the global economy, Israel is intensely implementing its agenda of consolidating its illegal occupation of Palestinian and Arab lands. With this in view, the Foreign Ministers of R4 called for an urgent end to ongoing Israeli violence and attempts to alter Jerusalem’s legal and historical status. However, mere statements will not help improve the ground situation until and unless a robust strategy is formulated and implemented by all Muslim countries to safeguard legitimate interests of Palestinians.