Saudi Arabia’s Ministerial Meeting Condemns Iranian Attacks
Last month in Riyadh, the Saudi government hosted a significant ministerial gathering with representatives from various nations affected by Iranian bombings. The meeting culminated in a joint declaration denouncing Iran for its extensive drone and missile strikes targeting civilian facilities in over a dozen countries.
The attendees included foreign ministers from Bahrain, the UAE, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Pakistan, Turkey, Qatar, Syria, Azerbaijan, and Lebanon. The Saudi Press Agency (SPA) shared a statement from the meeting participants on Thursday, urging an immediate cessation of assaults by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and cautioning Iran to refrain from disrupting commercial navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has been engaged in hostilities with Israel and the United States since February 28, following President Trump’s announcement of Operation Epic Fury, aimed at neutralizing any threats from Iran to its neighbors. Iran is regarded as the leading state sponsor of terrorism, backing the Revolutionary Guards as well as various other militant groups like Hezbollah, Hamas, Yemen’s Houthi faction, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and several Iraqi Shiite militias. On the initial day of this military campaign, President Trump declared an airstrike that eliminated Iran’s leader, Khamenei. Since then, the US and Israel have taken down numerous senior figures in Iran.
In retaliation, Iran has unleashed its missile and drone arsenal on its Arab and Muslim neighbors. Numerous countries represented in the ministerial meeting have been directly affected by these Iranian attacks on civilian zones. Iran has also repeatedly targeted Israel and struck Cyprus. While Iranian officials reject accusations of assaults on nations like Azerbaijan and Turkey, reports indicate that the Revolutionary Guards have attacked Saudi Arabia and the UAE, likely due to their non-aggressive stance towards the US and Israel.
Following talks with Gulf Cooperation Council nations and other guests, the Saudi government issued a joint statement condemning Iran’s actions. The countries affirmed their opposition to Iran’s intentional assaults using ballistic missiles and drones against civilian infrastructure, which includes residential areas, oil facilities, desalination plants, airports, and diplomatic sites.
The ministers emphasized that such attacks are indefensible under any circumstances. They called on Iran to halt these operations, stressing the importance of adhering to international law and maintaining a principle of good neighborliness.
Furthermore, the nations warned that future relations with Iran hinge on respecting its sovereignty and non-interference in its domestic matters, as well as avoiding any military threats to regional nations.
The joint statement also criticized Iran for disrupting trade traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and conveyed concerns regarding Israel’s ongoing incursions into Lebanon, which have reportedly displaced over a million people.
During the meeting, Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan indicated that there seems to be little hope of restoring trust between Iran and its Arab neighbors given the current situation.
“If trust was already fragile, it’s now completely destroyed,” he noted. “Rebuilding that trust, even after this conflict, will take time.”
He added that if Iran doesn’t immediately halt its activities, the chance of regaining any trust will diminish significantly.
The foreign minister also affirmed that Saudi Arabia is ready to adopt “all means” necessary to quell Iran’s assaults and would dismiss any calls for restraint to safeguard its population.
“We reserve the right to take military action if we find it necessary,” he stated.
In a related development, the Qatari government, having previously faced economic challenges due to Gulf states’ boycotts over its relationship with Iran, announced that it would be expelling all Iranian diplomats and closing the embassy in Doha. This decision followed an Iranian attack on Ras Laffan Industrial City, an important LNG facility in Qatar, which reportedly experienced severe damage.
The Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs characterized this resolution as a reaction to Iran’s persistent aggression, calling it a grave violation of international law and Qatar’s sovereignty.
The ministry emphasized that additional measures would follow to protect Qatar’s national interests in light of Iran’s continued hostilities.
