"South African President Cyril Ramaphosa from Cape Town on Wednesday called for an immediate halt to escalating armed conflicts, describing the ongoing war as 'madness' that is costing innocent lives unnecessarily. "We have issued a clear statement that we want a cease-fire. We want this madness to come to an end," Ramaphosa told journalists on the sidelines of the Africa Energy Indaba. "Donald Trump is very busy right now. He's got a war on his hands. And obviously, if the opportunity were to open, we would talk and say there must be a ceasefire," he added. Ramaphosa stressed that dialogue remains the best path to resolving conflicts. "South Africa is always ready to play a contributing role, either mediation or whatever. And if a gap opens or if we are asked, we always live up to our obligations," he continued. Ramaphosa also affirmed that South Africa recognises its responsibilities as a 'global citizen', expressing his country's readiness to contribute to any peace efforts. The US and Israel attacked Iran on Saturday morning. Tehran said it was responding with strikes on Israel and US assets in the region, with explosions reported in countries right across the Gulf region. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was confirmed dead in a strike on Saturday. It comes after a number of rounds of talks between the US and Iran."