RIYADH, Saudi Arabia: The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) backs Saudi Arabia’s security measures after drones targeted the kingdom’s oil facilities, Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi said in a statement published on July 27.
Albudaiwi said the attacks, which the bloc attributed to Iran-affiliated militias in Iraq, marked a dangerous escalation in the Gulf region.
He pledged full support for measures protecting Saudi security, sovereignty and territorial integrity, according to the official GCC statement.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan held separate calls on July 29 with senior officials from Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain.
They urged further de-escalation and protection of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab, the Saudi Press Agency said.
The officials also condemned attacks attributed to Iran and allied groups in Iraq and Yemen. They called for continued Gulf coordination against threats to regional security and stability.
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Saudi Arabia said its air defences destroyed several drones targeting Eastern Province oil facilities on July 28. Defence Ministry spokesperson Major General Turki al-Maliki blamed Iran-aligned militias operating from Iraq.
However, an unnamed Iranian military official denied any connection to projectiles launched from other countries towards Saudi targets. Iraq-based armed groups also denied responsibility, according to a Reuters-syndicated report.
US Central Command said American and Saudi aircraft later struck logistics and weapons sites in eastern Iraq. It described the operation as a response to more than 30 drone attacks during the previous 72 hours.
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Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, urged all sides to de-escalate and honour the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding.
He also reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for regional sovereignty during a UN Security Council debate.
