NNA - The following is a press release issued by the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on recent developments in the region and attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities: "The Brazilian government expresses grave concern regarding the military escalation in the Middle East and strongly condemns, in this context, military attacks by Israel and, more recently, the United States, against nuclear facilities, in violation of Iran's sovereignty and international law. Any armed attack on nuclear facilities represents a blatant transgression of the United Nations Charter and the norms of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Armed actions against nuclear facilities pose a serious threat to the life and health of civilian populations, exposing them to the risk of radioactive contamination and large-scale environmental disasters.

The Brazilian Government reiterates its historical position in favor of the exclusive use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes and firmly rejects any form of nuclear proliferation, especially in regions marked by geopolitical instability, such as the Middle East.

Brazil also repudiates reciprocal attacks against densely populated areas, which have caused a growing number of casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure, including hospital facilities, which are specially protected by international humanitarian law.

Brazil reiterates its call for maximum restraint by all parties involved in the conflict, and emphasizes the urgent need for a diplomatic solution that interrupts this cycle of violence and opens an opportunity for peace negotiations. The negative consequences of the current military escalation can cause irreversible damage to peace and stability in the region and the world, and to the nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament regime. --  Embassy of Brazil in Beirut

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