GCC, Arab, Islamic countries issue joint statement following consultative ministerial meeting on Iranian aggression

Riyadh: Their Highnesses, and Excellencies Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar, the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the...

Riyadh: Their Highnesses, and Excellencies Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar, the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the State of Kuwait, the Republic of Lebanon, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Syrian Arab Republic, the Republic of Turkiye, and the United Arab Emirates held a consultative ministerial meeting on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, in Riyadh, regarding the Iranian attacks.

The participants discussed the Iranian attacks on member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Republic of Azerbaijan, and the Republic of Turkiye. They affirmed their condemnation and denunciation of these deliberate Iranian attacks carried out using ballistic missiles and drones, which targeted residential areas and civilian infrastructure, including oil facilities, desalination plants, airports, residential compounds, and diplomatic premises.

The participants stressed that these attacks cannot be justified under any pretext or in any form. They also reaffirmed the right of states to defend themselves in accordance with Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations.

The participants called on Iran to immediately cease its attacks, respect international law, international humanitarian law, and the principles of good neighborliness, as a first step toward ending the escalation, achieving security and stability in the region, and activating diplomacy as the means to resolve crises.

They emphasized that the future of relations with Iran depends on respect for the sovereignty of states, non-interference in their internal affairs, refraining from any form of aggression against their sovereignty and territory, and not using or developing military capabilities to threaten countries in the region.