Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has issued a rare and pointed critique of the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict, attributing blame to both regional powers and Western actors for stoking tensions. In a detailed five-page letter made public on Tuesday, June 24, Museveni accused Iran, Israel, and Western powers—especially the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency—of collectively fueling instability in the Middle East. The letter, posted on Museveni’s official X account (formerly Twitter), was a direct response to criticism from Iran’s Ambassador to Uganda over his perceived silence on the crisis. It marks one of the strongest statements yet from an African head of state on the conflict, which escalated sharply after Israel launched missile strikes on Iranian military positions on June 12.
Museveni, who currently serves as the 2024–2027 Chair of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), asserted that his position was rooted in Uganda’s long-standing opposition to identity chauvinism, religious extremism, and foreign interventionism. He blamed Iran for refusing to recognize Israel’s right to exist whilst believing Israel has consistently rejected the internationally endorsed two-state solution with Palestine. Museveni warned that continued militarization would only deepen hostilities in an already volatile region. “Military involvement should be scaled back. Peace will only come through diplomacy, respect for sovereignty, and mutual recognition,” he wrote.
His statement carries weight within the Non-Aligned Movement, a 121-member bloc that includes nearly all African states and advocates for neutrality in global power struggles. The group has increasingly called for non-military solutions to international crises, particularly as geopolitical tensions between the West and countries like Russia and China spill into developing regions. As NAM chair, Museveni’s intervention may signal a push for more assertive diplomacy from African nations in global affairs.
