A group of major Arab and Muslim-majority countries on Thursday strongly condemned Iran’s “deliberate” missile and drone attacks, calling for an immediate halt and respect for international law.
The foreign ministers of Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) met in Riyadh on March 18 to discuss recent Iranian attacks and broader regional escalation.
In a joint statement, the ministers said the attacks targeted residential areas and key civilian infrastructure, including oil facilities, desalination plants, airports, and diplomatic premises, in neighboring countries, stressing that such actions cannot be justified under any circumstances.
They affirmed that states have the right to defend themselves in line with Article 51 of the U.N. Charter, while urging Iran to stop its attacks and promote diplomacy to de-escalate tensions.
They said the future of relations with Iran depends on respecting states' sovereignty and refraining from interfering in their internal affairs, from violating their sovereignty or territory, and from using military capabilities to threaten countries in the region.
