Jakarta. Indonesia is urging the UN Security Council to immediately help de-escalate the Middle East tension following Iran’s explosive retaliatory attacks on Israel.

Jakarta also calls on all parties to exercise restraint to prevent further escalation.

“Indonesia urges the UN Security Council to act immediately to de-escalate tensions and continue working towards lasting peace in the Middle East, including by ending the illegal occupation of Palestine and various violations of international law by Israel,” a statement by the Foreign Affairs Ministry reads.

Also, Indonesia underlined the need to achieve the so-called “two-state solution”, which sees Israel and Palestine living side by side as two independent states. 

“A just settlement of the Palestinian issue through the two-state solution will be the key to maintaining regional security,” the statement reads.

The UN Security Council is a 15-membered group in charge of maintaining or restoring peace and international security. The council comprises 5 permanent members: China, France, Russia, the UK, as well as the US, which has been quite close with Israel. In a statement on Iran’s attack, US President Joe Biden said that American forces had helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles.

Israel immediately requested an emergency UN Security Council meeting, which commenced on Sunday local time. Israeli envoy Gilad Erdan told the body that countries should impose “all possible sanctions on Iran before it is too late”.

At the meeting, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that the Middle East was on the brink.

“It’s time to step back from the brink. It is vital to avoid any action that could lead to major military confrontations on multiple fronts in the Middle East. Civilians are already bearing the brunt and paying the highest price,” Guterres said.

According to news agency Al Jazeera, Tehran had been threatening to attack Israel following an air raid on April 1, widely blamed on Israel, that destroyed the Iranian consulate in Syria, which also killed two elite Iranian generals.