Riyadh: The Ministerial Council of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) convened its 50th extraordinary meeting via videoconference on March 1 to address the Iranian missile and drone attacks targeting GCC member states.
The meeting was chaired by Dr Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain and current President of the Ministerial Council of the GCC, and attended by senior representatives of the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, and GCC Secretary General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi.
The Council reviewed the damage caused by the Iranian attacks that began on February 28, 2026, and targeted the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. According to the Council, the attacks struck civilian facilities, service sites, and residential areas, causing material damage and threatening the safety of citizens and residents.
In its statement, the Ministerial Council rejected and condemned the attacks in the strongest terms, describing them as a serious violation of sovereignty, the principles of good neighbourliness, and international law, including the United Nations Charter. It stated that targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure constituted a grave breach of international humanitarian law.
The Council affirmed full solidarity among GCC member states, stressing that the security of the bloc is indivisible and that any attack against one member state is considered a direct attack against all, in line with the GCC Charter and the Joint Defence Agreement.
It also asserted that GCC countries reserve the legal right to respond in accordance with Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, which guarantees the right of individual and collective self-defence in the event of aggression.
The Council commended the preparedness of member states’ armed forces and air defence systems, which successfully intercepted several missile and drone attacks, helping mitigate their impact and protect lives and infrastructure.
Despite diplomatic efforts by GCC countries to avoid escalation and assurances that their territories would not be used to launch attacks against Iran, the Council noted that military operations targeting GCC states had continued.
The Ministerial Council called for an immediate cessation of the attacks to restore regional security and stability. It highlighted the importance of safeguarding aerial and maritime security, protecting waterways, ensuring supply chain integrity, and maintaining the stability of global energy markets, noting that the stability of the Arabian Gulf has global economic implications.
The Council urged the international community to condemn the attacks and called on the United Nations Security Council to take immediate action to prevent further violations that endanger civilian lives and threaten regional and international peace.
While expressing appreciation to nations that had shown solidarity with GCC states, the Council reaffirmed its longstanding support for dialogue and diplomacy with Iran, acknowledging the role of Oman in facilitating such efforts.
In conclusion, the Council warned that further escalation could have serious consequences for regional and global security.
