Riyadh, March 19 Several Arab nations have reaffirmed their condemnation of Iranian attacks on residential areas, civilian infrastructure, including oil facilities, desalination plants, airports, residential buildings, and diplomatic premises and stressed the right of states to defend themselves in accordance with Article-51 of the United Nations Charter.
The Foreign Ministers of Qatar, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, during a consultative ministerial meeting in Riyadh on Wednesday, reaffirmed support for Lebanon's security, stability and territorial integrity, activating the sovereignty of the Lebanese state over all its territories, and supporting the Lebanese government's decision to limit weapons to the state. They condemned Israel's offensive against Lebanon and its expansionist policy in the region.
A joint statement issued after the Consultative Ministerial Meeting read, "The Ministers discussed the Iranian attacks on the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, The Republic of Azerbaijan, and the Republic of Turkey, and they affirmed their condemnation and denunciation of these Iranian deliberate attacks with ballistic missiles and drones which targeted residential areas, civilian infrastructure, including oil facilities, desalination plants, airports, residential buildings, and diplomatic premises. The Ministers further affirmed that such attacks could not be justified under any pretext or in any manner whatsoever."
The ministers urged Iran to immediately stop its attacks and respect international law, humanitarian law and principles of good neighbourliness. They urged Iran to refrain from any measures or threats aimed at closing or obstructing international navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Ministers called on Iran to immediately halt its attacks and affirmed the necessity of respecting international law, international humanitarian law, and the principles of good neighbourliness, as a first step toward ending the escalation, achieving security and stability in the region, and promoting diplomacy as a means to resolve the crisis. The Ministers further emphasised that the future of relations with Iran depends on respecting the sovereignty of states and non-interference in their internal affairs, as well as "refraining from violating their sovereignty or their territories in any manner whatsoever", and not using or developing its military capabilities to "threaten countries" in the region.
"The Ministers stressed the need for Iran to abide by implementing the Security Council Resolution 2817 (2026), which called for an immediate halt to all attacks, and unconditional cessation of any provocative acts or threats against neighboring states, and the cessation of support, financing and arming its affiliated militias in Arab countries, which Iran is doing to serve its goals and against the interests of these countries. Furthermore, to refrain from any measures or threats aimed at closing or obstructing international navigation in the Strait of Hormuz or threatening maritime security in Bab al-Mandab," it added.
The statement comes in the ongoing conflict in West Asia, which erupted following the US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, which killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and top military officials. In response, Iran launched drone and missile attacks targeting the US and Israeli facilities, regional capitals and allied forces in West Asia.
The joint statement said, "The Ministers reaffirm their commitment to continuing intensive consultation and coordination in this regard, to monitor developments and assess emerging issues in a way that ensures the formulation of common positions and the adoption of necessary legitimate measures and procedures to protect their security, stability, and sovereignty, and to halt the Iranian heinous attacks on their territories."
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