Gulf Ministerial Council: GCC countries retain the right to respond to Iranian aggression
The Council of Ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council categorically rejects and condemns in the strongest terms the “heinous” Iranian attack targeting GCC countries and Jordan, saying these countries retain the legal right to respond.
The council held a virtual meeting on Sunday to consider “the widespread damage caused by Iran’s treacherous attacks on these countries, including attacks on civilian facilities, services and residential areas, causing significant material damage, threatening the safety, security and lives of citizens and residents, and terrorizing innocent civilians.”
The council also “discussed measures and steps necessary to restore security and stability in the region and coordinate efforts to achieve peace,” the statement said.
Like Jordan, it expressed its firm rejection and strongest condemnation of these heinous attacks targeting GCC countries, calling them “a grave violation of the sovereignty of these countries, the principle of good neighborliness, and a clear violation of international law and the Charter of the United Nations.”
The statement added that targeting civilians and civilian goods is a serious violation of the rules of international humanitarian law.
The Security Council underlined the full unity of its Member States and affirmed its united stance against Iranian aggression, stressing that the security of each Member State is indivisible and that any attack on one Member State constitutes a direct attack on that Member State.
“GCC states retain the legal right to respond in the event of aggression in accordance with Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, which guarantees the right to individual or collective self-defense, and to take all necessary measures to protect their sovereignty, security and stability,” the statement said.
The Council praised member states’ militaries for “intercepting missile and drone attacks with a high degree of professionalism, thereby neutralizing the threat, reducing its impact and protecting human lives, facilities and critical infrastructure.”
“In light of Iran’s unjust aggression against the GCC countries, member states will take all necessary measures to protect their security and stability and protect their territories, people and residents, including options to respond to aggression,” the conference participants stressed.
The Council also called on the international community to condemn and strongly condemn the attack by Iran, and called on the UN Security Council to take an immediate and decisive stance to prevent such violations and to fulfill its responsibilities.
