Ministerial meeting calls on Iran to ‘immediately and unconditionally’ halt attacks in Gulf

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. Speaking to reporters, Prince Faisal said that Iran “tries to pressure its neighbours” with attacks.

“The kingdom is not going to succumb to pressure, and on the contrary, this pressure will backfire… and certainly, as we have stated quite clearly, we have reserved the right to take military actions if deemed necessary,” he said. Saudi Arabia reported more Iranian attacks on Thursday. Several strong blasts were heard in the Saudi capital a day earlier, according to AFP journalists, while the defence ministry said it had intercepted ballistic missiles. “The targeting of Riyadh while a number of diplomats are meeting… I think that’s the clearest signal of how Iran feels about diplomacy,” Prince Faisal said. “It doesn’t believe in talking to its neighbours.” The Saudi foreign minister condemned the repeated “targeting of civilian sites” across the Gulf, dismissing Iran’s justification that it was targeting US interests in the region as “weak”. “Neither Saudi Arabia nor the Gulf states would accept… blackmail, and escalation will be met with escalation,” he said. Pak, KSA, and regional countries discuss joint coordination efforts Separately, Saudi Arabia held a “coordination” meeting with the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Turkiye and Egypt, its foreign ministry said. In a statement, the ministry said that the Saudi foreign minister, along with his regional counterparts, discussed the “Iranian escalation” and the “importance of continuing consultation and coordinating joint efforts to achieve security and stability in the region”. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar was present in the meeting as well.

Dar, Turkiye FM discuss ‘regional developments’ Separately, the Foreign Office (FO) said that Dar met Turkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan at the sidelines of the ministerial meeting, where the two discussed regional developments. In a post on X, FO said, “Both sides discussed evolving regional developments and reaffirmed their commitment to close coordination and strengthening the Pak-Türkiye bilateral partnership”.

A separate statement was also issued about Dar’s visit, which stated that he “expressed complete support for the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and political independence of all brotherly regional countries”. He also emphasised the need to “end all attacks” against their respective territories, underscoring the importance of “preserving the unity of the Muslim Ummah”, the statement added.

Dar reiterated Pakistan’s call for dialogue and diplomacy and stressed the need to address the root causes of the ongoing crisis. In this regard, the statement said, he “condemned in the strongest possible terms Israel’s continued aggression and provocations against regional countries”. “He also condemned the unwarranted attacks on civilians, as well as on energy and critical infrastructure in the region, calling for an end to all such attacks,” the FO added. The foreign minister urged that countries refrain from actions that could undermine the region’s energy security. He apprised the meeting participants of Pakistan’s ongoing diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis, reaffirming the country’s desire to “continue playing a constructive role in helping overcome regional security challenges”.