The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have expressed strong condemnation and disapproval of the Iranian attack on the Saudi tanker 'Widian' and the Qatari tanker 'Al Rakiat' as they passed through the Straits of Hormuz, which endangered the crew of both tankers. This act is considered an unacceptable assault on the security and safety of international navigation and global energy supplies. The GCC also condemned continuous Iranian attacks on Bahrain and Kuwait, which violate international law and United Nations Security Council Resolution 2817 ensuring freedom of maritime navigation and safe passage through sea passages, as well as breaching the Memorandum of Understanding between the United States and Iran, which agreed upon a ceasefire and reopening of the Straits of Hormuz.
The GCC countries reaffirm their full solidarity and unified stance against these aggressions, emphasizing that the security of the council's countries is indivisible. Any attack on a member state is a direct assault on all council members, in line with the GCC Charter and the Joint Defense Agreement. They emphasize their right to self-defense in accordance with Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, which allows for individual and collective self-defense against aggression, and to take all necessary actions to safeguard their sovereignty, security, and stability.
The GCC holds Iran fully responsible for these attacks and their repercussions, stressing that continued hostile actions and behavior destabilizing regional security undermine international security and peace, posing a threat to international navigation safety and jeopardizing the stability of energy markets and the global economy.
The GCC renews its call on the international community, especially the United Nations Security Council, to condemn these attacks and fulfill its responsibilities by taking a firm stance to ensure safe passage in international waterways and ensuring freedom of navigation in the Straits of Hormuz without restrictions, tolls, or service fees, in accordance with international law and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, considering it a fundamental pillar for energy security, food and drug supplies, and seamless global trade. Necessary measures should be taken to achieve a permanent, immediate, and unconditional cessation of all Iranian hostilities and reopen the Straits of Hormuz sustainably and unconditionally, rejecting any unilateral and illegal mechanisms or arrangements.
The GCC emphasizes the importance for Iran to fully comply with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2817 and the Memorandum of Understanding with the United States, executing the clauses therein to contribute to regional and international security and stability, and cement the foundations for security and prosperity globally.