GCC Foreign Ministers: Saudi-Iranian Agreement Helps Resolve Region’s Differences through Dialogue

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) foreign ministers held the 155th ministerial meeting on Wednesday at the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the GCC in Riyadh (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) foreign ministers held the 155th ministerial meeting on Wednesday at the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the GCC in Riyadh (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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GCC Foreign Ministers: Saudi-Iranian Agreement Helps Resolve Region’s Differences through Dialogue

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) foreign ministers held the 155th ministerial meeting on Wednesday at the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the GCC in Riyadh (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) foreign ministers held the 155th ministerial meeting on Wednesday at the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the GCC in Riyadh (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) foreign ministers have welcomed the Saudi-Iran agreement sponsored by China. They said the agreement, which stipulates resuming diplomatic relations, represents a positive step to resolving regional disputes via dialogue.

Chaired by Sayyed Badr Al-Busaidi, Oman’s minister of foreign affairs, the 155th meeting of GCC foreign ministers on Wednesday in Riyadh discussed ways to strengthen regional security and stability.

“The agreement represents an important step in the context of our common goals in the GCC countries to strengthen the pillars of security, stability and good neighborliness,” said Al-Busaidi.

He expressed his hope for the agreement ushering in a new phase of cooperation that is based on mutual trust and respect.

Al-Busaidi pointed out that the current GCC ministerial meeting is taking place amid regional, Arab, and international developments.

“Today, more than ever, there is a need to reinforce joint Gulf action,” said Al-Busaidi, adding that this comes at a time that the international community, in all its forms, is intensively looking to bolster ties with the GCC.

At the meeting, the foreign ministers also stated that the agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran is a step towards establishing relations between countries based on understanding, mutual respect, good neighborliness, respect for sovereignty, and non-interference in internal affairs.

They also highlighted that the agreement aligns with the charters of the UN and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and international laws and norms.

The top GCC diplomats also condemned the continued foreign support for terrorist groups and sectarian militias in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and others, stressing that they threaten Arab national security, destabilize the region, and impede the work of the international coalition to combat ISIS.

The council also stressed the importance of Iran’s commitment not to exceed the rate of uranium enrichment required for peaceful uses.

It also affirmed the need for preserving maritime security in the region, and addressing anything that might threaten shipping lines, international trade, and oil installations in GCC states.

As for Yemen, the council affirmed its full support for the Presidential Leadership Council.

The foreign ministers also called on the Houthis to respond to the invitation made by the Presidential Leadership Council, to negotiate under the supervision of the UN to reach a political solution.

Moreover, the council reaffirmed its firm positions towards preserving the territorial integrity of Syria and respecting its independence and sovereignty over its lands.

It rejected regional interference in Syria’s internal affairs and said it supported a political solution to the crisis in accordance with UN resolutions, including Security Council Resolution No. 2254.



Qatar Urges Israel, Hamas to Seize ‘Window of Opportunity’ for Gaza Truce

Smoke billows after an Israeli strike on Gaza City on June 28, 2025, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. (Photo by Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)
Smoke billows after an Israeli strike on Gaza City on June 28, 2025, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. (Photo by Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)
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Qatar Urges Israel, Hamas to Seize ‘Window of Opportunity’ for Gaza Truce

Smoke billows after an Israeli strike on Gaza City on June 28, 2025, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. (Photo by Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)
Smoke billows after an Israeli strike on Gaza City on June 28, 2025, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. (Photo by Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)

Gaza mediators are engaging with Israel and Hamas to build on momentum from this week’s ceasefire with Iran and work towards a truce in the Palestinian territory, Qatar foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said.

In an interview with AFP on Friday, Ansari said Doha -- with fellow Gaza mediators in Washington and Cairo -- was now “trying to use the momentum that was created by the ceasefire between Iran and Israel to restart the talks over Gaza.”

“If we don’t utilize this window of opportunity and this momentum, it’s an opportunity lost amongst many in the near past. We don’t want to see that again,” the spokesman, who is also an adviser to Qatar’s prime minister, said.

US President Donald Trump voiced optimism on Friday about a new ceasefire in Gaza saying an agreement involving Israel and Hamas could come as early as next week.

Mediators have been engaged in months of back-and-forth negotiations with the warring parties aimed at ending 20 months of war in Gaza, with Ansari explaining there were no current talks between the sides but that Qatar was “heavily involved in talking to every side separately.”

A two-month truce, which was agreed as Trump came into office in January, collapsed in March with Israel intensifying military operations in Gaza afterwards.

“We have seen US pressure and what it can accomplish,” Ansari said referring to the January truce which saw dozens of hostages held by Hamas released in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

The Qatari official said particularly in the context of US enforcement of the Israel-Iran truce, it was “not a far-fetched idea” that pressure from Washington would achieve a fresh truce in Gaza.

“We are working with them very, very closely to make sure that the right pressure is applied from the international community as a whole, especially from the US, to see both parties at the negotiating table,” Ansari said.