GCC Condemns Iranian Attacks, Demands Immediate Halt to Hostilities

Bahrain tells the UN Human Rights Council that Iran bears full responsibility for attacks threatening regional security and maritime safety

Bahrain’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office and other international organisations in Geneva, Ambassador Abdullah Abdul Latif Abdullah, delivered a statement on behalf of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries during the 63rd session of the UN Human Rights Council.

The statement was delivered during an interactive dialogue on the oral update presented by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights under Item Two of the council’s agenda.

The GCC countries expressed their appreciation for the efforts of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and his office and took note of his oral briefing.

The bloc strongly condemned the recent Iranian attacks targeting several GCC countries, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and its civilian interests, including the safety of maritime navigation.

The GCC said these hostile acts constituted a flagrant violation of state sovereignty and the principles of international law, posing a direct threat to regional security and stability as well as to the safety of citizens and residents.

The GCC countries held Iran fully responsible for the consequences of the attacks and demanded their immediate cessation.

The statement also condemned the continued Israeli settlement policies in the occupied West Bank, including the E1 settlement plan, describing them as a flagrant violation of international law and a systematic undermining of the Palestinian people’s right to establish an independent state along the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The GCC reaffirmed its commitment to the multilateral international system, the principles of international law and the UN Charter. It also stressed its commitment to resolving disputes through peaceful means, particularly dialogue and mediation, describing them as the best way to address crises and strengthen security and stability.