As escalating hostilities between Iran and Israel threaten to plunge the Middle East into deeper chaos, former Chairman of the Conflict Resolution and Policy Advisory Committee at Lagos State University, Emeritus Professor Anetekhai Martins Agenuma has issued an urgent appeal for restraint and coordinated international diplomacy.
In a statement released in Lagos, Prof. Agenuma warned that the confrontation between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the State of Israel has reached a critical tipping point, following a series of deadly attacks and retaliations over the last 72 hours.
“The consequences are no longer hypothetical, they are real, visible, and rising. Civilian lives are being lost, critical infrastructure has been damaged, and the region teeters on the edge of a broader conflict,” he stated.
According to Prof. Agenuma, the ongoing conflict has seen Iranian drone and missile strikes hitting Israeli civilian and urban zones, including medical facilities. In response, Israel has launched air raids on strategic Iranian locations, reportedly including suspected nuclear research sites.
More than 600 fatalities have already been reported, with both nations facing mounting humanitarian crises. International observers also warn of the looming involvement of proxy forces such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthi militia in Yemen, increasing the risk of a full-scale regional war.
In his statement, Prof. Agenuma proposed a series of urgent diplomatic measures to de-escalate the crisis and create a path toward negotiated peace. The first among them is a UN- and G7-brokered 15-day “strike freeze” to halt all military actions and open corridors for humanitarian assistance.
He also advocated for Geneva-led crisis talks, where neutral countries would host indirect negotiations between Iranian and Israeli envoys, as well as the establishment of protected humanitarian corridors coordinated by international aid bodies such as the International Committee of the Red Cross and the World Health Organization.
Political leaders, he argued, must also be held accountable for the tone and content of their public statements. “Calls for regime elimination or full confrontation serve no strategic purpose and only inflame an already volatile situation,” he cautioned.
Prof. Agenuma further urged NATO and allied nations to implement deconfliction protocols and regional containment strategies to prevent the crisis from spilling into broader theatres, including the Red Sea and the Mediterranean.
“This is not a time for vengeance or maximalist ambitions,” he said. “It is a moment that demands maturity, memory, and meaningful mediation.”
Drawing parallels with historic diplomatic flashpoints from the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 to the 2003 Iraq invasion, Prof. Agenuma emphasized the critical importance of swift, multilateral engagement to forestall further bloodshed.
“Both Iran and Israel have much to protect, but they have far more to lose by escalating further,” he noted.
Prof. Agenuma concluded his message with a stern warning: “Silence at this time is complicity. Let it be remembered that true leadership is not shown in battlefield triumphs, but in moments when war is averted. This is a test of modern diplomacy. The world must not fail it.”