Arab foreign ministers on Sunday strongly condemned what they described as Iranian attacks against Arab states, calling them a “serious threat to international peace and security” and urging the UN Security Council to compel Tehran to halt them immediately.
The emergency meeting of the Council of the Arab League at the ministerial level was held by videoconference to discuss the alleged attacks.
At the end of the session, participants issued a 16-point statement denouncing what they described as “illegal Iranian aggressions” and calling on Iran to immediately cease “hostile military operations and all provocative acts or threats against neighboring states,” including the use of allied armed groups and militias in the region.
The statement reaffirmed “firm support” for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of the targeted Arab countries, backing any measures taken to protect their security and stability. It also endorsed the right of those states to respond to the attacks.
The foreign ministers expressed “categorical rejection” of the assaults and emphasized full solidarity among Arab states. They cited the Arab League Charter and the Joint Arab Defense and Economic Cooperation Treaty, stressing that the security of member states is indivisible and that an attack on one member is considered an attack on all.
The statement also affirmed the right of the targeted Arab states to self-defense — individually or collectively — under Article 51 of the UN Charter. It reiterated support for pursuing action through international institutions, including the UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly, to secure resolutions condemning the attacks and holding Iran responsible for their consequences.
The ministers further urged the Security Council to assume its responsibility for maintaining regional and international peace and security by issuing a binding resolution condemning the attacks and compelling Iran to halt them without conditions.
They also emphasized the need to respect freedom of navigation and the rights of commercial shipping under international law.
The statement condemned Iranian actions that could threaten international maritime routes, including any attempts to close the Strait of Hormuz or disrupt navigation in the Bab el-Mandeb and international waters. Such moves, it warned, would endanger Gulf stability, global energy supplies and international security.
Regarding Lebanon, the statement reaffirmed support for the country’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and welcomed a decision by the Lebanese government to immediately ban all security and military activities by Hezbollah, declaring them illegal and restricting the group to political activity within constitutional and legal frameworks.
It also stressed that weapons should remain solely in the hands of the Lebanese state and its legitimate institutions, particularly the Lebanese Armed Forces and official security agencies.
On the Palestinian issue, Arab foreign ministers called on influential international actors to pressure Israel, “the occupying power,” to end what they described as its illegal occupation of Palestinian and Arab territories captured in 1967.
Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit said the meeting sent a clear message that Arab states “speak with one voice” in rejecting any attack on an Arab country or violation of its sovereignty. He described the attacks as violations of international law and a threat to overall Arab national security.
He warned that such actions “cannot be justified under any pretext,” calling them reckless policies that undermine principles of good neighborliness and risk deepening Iran’s isolation.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty also voiced full solidarity with Gulf states, Jordan and Iraq, stressing the need to strengthen collective Arab security frameworks, including the possible formation of a joint Arab force.
