A ministerial meeting, hosted by Saudi Arabia, called on Iran to “immediately and unconditionally” halt attacks against Gulf countries in the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, the Saudi Arabian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.
The conflict began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28. In retaliatory strikes, Iran has targeted US assets and bases in Gulf countries. A day earlier, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar travelled to the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh for the ministerial meeting.
In a statement on X, the ministry said that the consultative meeting was attended by Azerbaijan, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Pakistan, Turkiye, Syria, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon and Egypt, where they condemned Iranian “missile and drone attacks” and held Iran “fully responsible”.
They called on the country to “immediately and unconditionally cease its aggression and to comply with UN Security Council resolutions”.
The ministers maintained that Iran’s actions amount to “violation of sovereignty and international law”.
During the meeting, the “dangers” of supporting militias were also highlighted, and the ministers collectively urged Iran to “seriously reconsider its miscalculations”.
The ministers also warned Iran could face “serious consequences” if it continued to “violate the principles of good neighbourliness and the sovereignty of states”, added the statement.
It will also have consequences for the security of the region, they warned, adding that Iran “will exact a heavy price”.
According to the statement, the participants further maintained that the actions can cast “a shadow over its relations with the countries and peoples of the region, who will not stand idly by in the face of threats to their capabilities”.
According to the Saudi Press Agency, the ministers also urged Iran to refrain from “threats aimed at closing or obstructing international navigation in the Strait of Hormuz or threatening maritime security in Bab al-Mandab”.
As per SPA, the ministers also reiterated their support for “security, stability, and territorial integrity of Lebanon”. They also condemned Israeli aggression against Lebanon.
Lebanon was dragged into the US-Israeli war on Iran this month when Lebanese group Hezbollah launched rockets and drones into Israel, which responded with heavy bombardment across the country.
The foreign ministers renewed their commitment to hold “intensive consultation and coordination” on the matter, and “ensure 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 attacks on their territories,” SPA reported.
Saudi Arabia reserves ‘right to take military actions’: FM
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has not ruled out military action in response to repeated missile and drone attacks from Iran, Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said following the meeting.
