RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, July 18 (ANI): The Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have strongly condemned Iran following a series of coordinated missile and drone strikes targeting civilian and critical infrastructure in several West Asian countries, including Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan.
The GCC, a political, economic, and security alliance comprising Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain, and the Arab League, a regional organization representing 22 member states across the Middle East, North Africa, and the Horn of Africa, described the attacks as a serious violation of international law and warned of broader regional security consequences.
GCC Secretary-General Jassim Al-Budaiwi condemned the attacks on civilian infrastructure in a statement carried by the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA).
“What Iran has undertaken is an extremely dangerous escalation and a grave violation of international law and the United Nations Charter, and war crimes that necessitate international accountability and prosecution,” Al-Budaiwi said.
Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy also criticized the attacks, warning that Iran was attempting to widen the conflict.
According to KUNA, Fahmy said, “The escalating pace of Iran’s brazen attacks on Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq reflects an aggressive approach that cannot be tolerated or accepted.”
The United Arab Emirates also condemned the missile and drone attacks “in the strongest terms,” calling them “a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of the brotherly nations and a threat to their security and stability.”
The UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the country stands in full solidarity with Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan and supports all measures taken to defend their sovereignty.
“The United Arab Emirates has condemned in the strongest terms the renewed hostile attacks by Iran targeting the Kingdom of Bahrain, the State of Kuwait, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan with missiles and drones. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirmed that these hostile attacks constitute a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of the brotherly nations and a threat to their security and stability,” the ministry said.
Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also condemned the attacks, saying strikes on electricity and water desalination facilities in Kuwait crossed “all acceptable thresholds.”
Doha described the attacks as “a blatant breach of international law, the Charter of the United Nations, and the principles of good neighbourliness,” adding that they also violated U.N. Security Council Resolution 2817.
Qatar warned that the continued military campaign represented “a dangerous escalation that will complicate efforts to contain tensions” and called for an immediate end to hostilities and a return to diplomatic negotiations.
“The Ministry stresses that the continuation of these attacks represents a dangerous escalation that will complicate efforts to contain tensions and undermine political and diplomatic endeavours aimed at achieving security and stability in the region. The Ministry underscores the need for an immediate and complete cessation of all military actions and attacks that threaten the security and stability of the region, the avoidance of any actions that could widen the scope of the escalation, a genuine return to dialogue and negotiations, and adherence to the understandings reached through diplomatic efforts,” the statement said.
Egypt also condemned the attacks targeting Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan, saying strikes on civilian infrastructure represented a dangerous escalation that threatened regional stability.
“Egypt reaffirms its full solidarity with the brotherly nations, standing by their side in confronting everything that compromises their security, stability, and the integrity of their territories,” Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
Earlier Saturday, Kuwait also condemned the Iranian attacks on its oil facilities, power stations, and water desalination plants.
According to Al Jazeera, Kuwait Airways suspended all operations at Kuwait International Airport after authorities closed the country’s airspace.
In a statement, Kuwait’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the attacks as “heinous,” saying they endangered civilian lives through repeated strikes on critical civilian infrastructure and violated international law.
The ministry called for an immediate end to the attacks while reaffirming Kuwait’s right to defend its territory and protect its citizens in accordance with the U.N. Charter.
Kuwait News Agency also quoted Ministry of Defence spokesperson Brig. Gen. Saud Al-Otaibi as saying firefighters and oil sector workers were injured during firefighting and repair operations following the attacks.
He added that intercepted missiles and drones scattered debris across several locations and residential areas, causing property damage but no civilian fatalities.
Earlier, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation said one of its critical oil sector facilities had come under what it described as “repeated brutal Iranian attacks.”
The corporation said injured personnel received first aid, the site was evacuated, and emergency response operations were being coordinated with the relevant government agencies.
The developments follow Iran’s announcement Friday that it had targeted U.S. military facilities in Jordan, Kuwait, and Bahrain in a fresh round of retaliatory attacks, hours after U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed its seventh consecutive night of strikes against Iranian targets.
The announcements were made through statements broadcast by Iran’s state-run Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), citing the Iranian Army and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
According to the Iranian Army, its forces carried out the 14th phase of “Operation Lightning,” launching drone strikes against multiple U.S. military facilities in Kuwait and Jordan.
The IRGC also claimed that at least two Iranian ballistic missiles struck Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan.
According to Al Jazeera, Jordan’s air defense systems intercepted 10 Iranian missiles that entered the country’s airspace early Saturday.
Al Jazeera also reported that Bahrain activated air raid sirens for the fifth time in several hours, with the Interior Ministry urging residents to remain calm and move to the nearest safe location.
The IRGC said the attacks were launched in response to overnight U.S. strikes that it claimed hit bridges and caused civilian casualties in Iran.
Iran’s latest strikes came hours after U.S. forces launched another round of military operations, marking the seventh consecutive night of attacks that Washington said were intended to further degrade Iran’s military capabilities.
In a post on X, CENTCOM said, “CENTCOM launched a round of strikes against Iran at 3 p.m. ET today for the seventh consecutive night. The strikes are designed to continue degrading Iranian military capabilities at the Commander in Chief’s direction.”
The latest escalation comes as Iran has formally suspended its commitments under the 14-point memorandum of understanding with the United States, with both sides continuing to exchange military strikes across the region. (ANI)
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