Arab nations tell Iran to halt ‘heinous attacks’
Abdullateef Fowewe
Foreign ministers from 12 Arab and Islamic countries, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Pakistan, have convened in Riyadh and issued a unified condemnation of Iran’s recent attacks, demanding an immediate end to hostilities targeting civilian and energy infrastructure across the region.
The consultative meeting, held on March 18, addressed “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 statement said.
Participants affirmed these actions “could not be justified under any pretext or in any” circumstance.
The group—representing Qatar, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Türkiye, and the UAE—stressed self-defense rights under “Article (51) of the United Nations Charter” and urged Iran to “immediately halt its attacks” while respecting “international law, international humanitarian law, and the principles of good neighbourliness.”
They tied future relations to Iran’s adherence to sovereignty, warning against “non-inference in their internal affairs” or using “military capabilities to threaten countries of the region.”
The ministers also demanded compliance with UN Security Council Resolution 2817(2026), calling for an “immediate halt to all attacks,” cessation of militia support in Arab states, and no threats to navigation in the Strait of Hormuz or Bab al-Mandab.
The statement reaffirmed support for Lebanon’s sovereignty, condemned “Israel’s aggression against Lebanon and its expansionist policy,” and pledged ongoing coordination to “halt the Iranian heinous attacks on their territories” through “common positions and the adoption of necessary legitimate measures.”
