KAMPALA, June 24 – Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, in his capacity as Chairman of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) for 2024–2027, has broken his silence on the Israel-Iran conflict, issuing a five-page statement condemning Iran, Israel, and Western powers for escalating tensions in the Middle East. The statement, released on Tuesday, marks one of the first public comments by an African leader on the conflict, which intensified after Israel’s missile strikes on Iranian military targets on June 12, 2025.
Prompted by criticism from Iran’s Ambassador to Uganda, Majid Saffar, over Uganda’s initial silence, Museveni shared his position via a detailed letter posted on X. “In our long history of resistance, we abhor chauvinism of identity—race, tribe, religion, or gender—and stand for the politics of legitimate interests,” he stated, outlining four groups he considers responsible for the crisis.
Museveni criticized Iran for refusing to recognize Israel’s legitimacy, arguing that biblical and historical records affirm Israel’s place in the region. He recounted advising Iranian leaders, including former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, that denying Israel’s right to exist is a mistake. Conversely, he faulted Israel for resisting the two-state solution, comparing its stance to Uganda’s rejection of Idi Amin’s expulsion of Asians in the 1970s. “You cannot say the Palestinians do not belong there,” he asserted.
The Ugandan leader also pointed to Western imperialism, specifically the CIA’s 1953 overthrow of Iran’s democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh, as a root cause of resentment that fueled Iran’s current theocratic regime. “It is them that created that huge resentment that produced these clerics who have their own mistaken positions,” Museveni noted. Finally, he condemned foreign military interventions, arguing that external force escalates conflicts and rarely resolves them.
As NAM Chairman, Museveni urged all parties to abandon aggression and embrace principled diplomacy. “Iran and the Islamists should recognize Israel, and Israel should implement the two-state solution,” he said, emphasizing mutual recognition and peaceful dialogue. His remarks carry weight among NAM’s 121 member states, including nearly all African nations, which historically advocate neutrality in superpower conflicts.
Museveni concluded with a call for collective prayer, urging global leaders to seek divine wisdom for a just resolution. His intervention underscores Uganda’s diplomatic role and NAM’s commitment to fostering peace amid rising global tensions.
