عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Gulf

GCC, EU Denounce Houthi Attacks on Saudi Arabia, UAE

GCC and EU officials during the 26th EU-GCC Joint Council and Ministerial Meeting on Monday.(SPA)
GCC and EU officials during the 26th EU-GCC Joint Council and Ministerial Meeting on Monday.(SPA)
TT
TT

GCC, EU Denounce Houthi Attacks on Saudi Arabia, UAE

GCC and EU officials during the 26th EU-GCC Joint Council and Ministerial Meeting on Monday.(SPA)
GCC and EU officials during the 26th EU-GCC Joint Council and Ministerial Meeting on Monday.(SPA)

The European Council and Gulf Countries Council (GCC) condemned the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and the UAE, stressing the importance of boosting relations and enhancing cooperation. This came at the end of their 26th EU-GCC Joint Council and Ministerial Meeting on Monday.

The EU and GCC share an interest in addressing global challenges such as green and digital transition, climate change, and counter-terrorism.

The meeting resumed high-level institutional engagement between the two organizations and discussed concrete ways to strengthen dialogue and cooperation on regional and global challenges.

EU’s Vice President and High Representative and Vice President Josep Borrell chaired the European delegation, and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan chaired the Gulf delegation.

The meeting was attended by EU and GCC foreign ministers and GCC Sec-Gen Nayef al-Hajraf.

It was held in Brussels on Feb. 21 and addressed regional issues of mutual concern and explored ways to step up EU-GCC cooperation.

The attendees exchanged views on issues of common interest, including the peace process in the Middle East, Yemen, Iran, Libya, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

The ministers stressed the urgent need to improve the humanitarian situation in Yemen, calling for an unconditional ceasefire. They strongly condemned the Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

The ministers reiterated their concern over the lack of progress in resolving the dispute between the UAE and Iran over the three islands, Abu Musa Greater and Lesser Tunbs.

They supported the peaceful settlement of this conflict under international law and condemned the proliferation of ballistic missiles and drone systems used in hundreds of attacks against civilians, civilian infrastructure, and the Global Coalition Against ISIS.

The ministers agreed on continuing joint international efforts to enhance stability and prosperity in Iraq.

The meeting addressed the humanitarian and economic crisis in Afghanistan and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Syria.

The top officials agreed to provide essential aid in all Syrian regions as part of implementing a plan United Nations humanitarian response.

The ministers urged the Lebanese government to take quick and effective decisions to initiate the much-needed reforms to enable a quick conclusion of the agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

They stressed the importance of holding free, fair, and transparent parliamentary elections in May 2022.

On the Middle East peace process, the ministers reaffirmed their commitment to a two-state solution that meets the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people, based on the 1967 lines and UN Security Council Resolutions 242, 338, 2334, and other relevant UN resolutions.

They called for ending escalations in Jerusalem, noting that the city should be recognized as the capital of Palestine and Israel.

Regarding the situation in Libya, the ministers reaffirmed their support for the UN efforts to hold free, fair, inclusive, and credible presidential and parliamentary elections.

After the meeting, the GCC and EU officials agreed to hold their next meeting in 2023 in the Gulf region.

Most Viewed

 
 
Gulf

Saudi Defense Minister, Swedish Counterpart Discuss Regional Security

Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz. SPA
Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz. SPA
TT
TT

Saudi Defense Minister, Swedish Counterpart Discuss Regional Security

Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz. SPA
Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz. SPA

Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz received a phone call on Thursday from Swedish Minister of Defense Pål Jonson.

During the call, the two ministers reviewed bilateral defense relations and discussed regional developments and efforts to address them in a way that achieves security and stability in the region and the world.

Gulf

Saudi Arabia Condemns Any Attempt to Close the Strait of Hormuz or Disrupt Waterways

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's flag fluttering in Riyadh - File photo
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's flag fluttering in Riyadh - File photo
TT
TT

Saudi Arabia Condemns Any Attempt to Close the Strait of Hormuz or Disrupt Waterways

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's flag fluttering in Riyadh - File photo
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's flag fluttering in Riyadh - File photo

On behalf of Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Waleed Elkhereiji participated by video conference in a meeting of the foreign ministers of MED9 member states, Arab League member states, and partner countries from the Western Balkans.

The vice minister delivered remarks affirming the Kingdom’s rejection and condemnation of any attempt to close the Strait of Hormuz or disrupt international waterways. He stressed that freedom of navigation is a fundamental principle guaranteed by law and must be respected and preserved.

“The impact of these disruptions has begun to reach global food security by affecting the movement of fertilizers and essential food supplies. This underscores the need to shield food and fertilizers from any pressures or practices that obstruct the flow of supplies under any circumstances,” he said, SPA reported.

Elkhereiji affirmed that the Kingdom will continue to play its role in supporting market stability, securing supplies, and helping keep regional and international flows moving smoothly by strengthening logistical connectivity and supporting cooperation in transport, storage, and supply chain resilience.

“These challenges require collective coordination to protect maritime corridors. What is needed today is a focus on practical steps that help increase availability and improve access to essential supplies, strengthening cooperation among partners and supporting regional and international stability,” he added.

Gulf

Albudaiwi: GCC Countries Activate Several Alternative Logistics Corridors

Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi. SPA
Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi. SPA
TT
TT

Albudaiwi: GCC Countries Activate Several Alternative Logistics Corridors

Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi. SPA
Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi. SPA

Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi affirmed that the GCC countries moved immediately to protect supply chains and ensure their continuity by activating a number of alternative logistics corridors and redirecting shipments from the Arabian Gulf ports to alternative ports on the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, supported by customs and logistics facilitation that ensures the flow of supplies and meets international demand for energy and fertilizers during the current circumstances.

This came during a speech delivered by Albudaiwi at the meeting dedicated to discussing a new political initiative entitled “Supporting Food Security and Access to Fertilizers”, held today via videoconference, in the presence of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Italian Republic Antonio Tajani and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia and current chair of the Mediterranean Group Gordan Grlić Radman.

According to a press release issued by the GCC Secretariat General today, the GCC secretary-general stated that this meeting is being held at a highly critical juncture, in light of the blatant Iranian attacks targeting the GCC countries, and Iran’s continued disruption of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, which has clearly revealed the depth of interconnection between regional security issues and the challenges of global food security, SPA reported.

“Since February 28, 2026, Iran and its proxies in the region have launched approximately 7,000 attacks using ballistic missiles and drones against the GCC countries over 45 consecutive days, targeting civilian facilities, infrastructure and energy facilities, including oil and gas, resulting in loss of life and significant material damage, and directly affecting the stability of global energy markets and supply chains, particularly food commodities and agricultural inputs, foremost among them chemical fertilizers,” he said in his speech.

Albudaiwi further stated that the Iranian aggression against the sovereignty of the GCC countries, the disruption of maritime navigation, and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz constitute blackmail against the entire world and a clear violation of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, as well as a blatant breach of international law and the Charter of the United Nations.

The GCC secretary-general commended the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2817, which condemned these attacks, called for their immediate cessation, and urged refraining from threatening or disrupting maritime navigation in the Arabian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz or adjacent areas, with an unprecedented level of co-sponsorship in the history of the Security Council; nevertheless, Iran has not complied with it to date.

"The damages resulting from the disruption of maritime navigation are not confined to the borders of the GCC states but extend to impact the entire global economy. The world is currently suffering from shortages in the supply of oil, gas, and petrochemical derivatives, including agricultural fertilizers, with urea prices rising by 30% to 40%. This constitutes a direct threat to global food security, where developing nations reliant on energy and food imports will bear the greatest burden of this escalation while already facing inflationary pressures and high sovereign debt obligations," he explained.

The release added that Albudaiwi highlighted the harsh economic measures many countries have been forced to take to mitigate these repercussions, stressing that addressing these challenges requires collective action to develop practical tools, such as supporting price stability and intensifying logistical coordination to ensure the uninterrupted flow of essential goods.

“Today’s meeting serves as a vital opportunity to translate discussions into practical initiatives that enhance connectivity between our countries and support the stability of the region and the world as a space for cooperation and joint development," he stated, underscoring that dialogue and diplomacy remain the optimal means for addressing crises, while emphasizing that Iran must respect the sovereignty of neighboring states and refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of GCC countries.

The GCC secretary-general called for considering all necessary measures to achieve the security and stability of supply chains, ensure the continuity of international maritime navigation, and realize global food security, underlining that these measures include ensuring a permanent cessation of Iranian attacks on the territories, ports and interests of GCC states in the waters of the Arabian Gulf and guaranteeing their non-recurrence.

He also highlighted the importance of taking all necessary measures to protect maritime corridors and ensure the continuity of international navigation in all straits, particularly the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb, as maintaining maritime and regional security is a fundamental pillar of international peace and security.

Finally, he stressed the significance of committing to the provisions of international law and the concerted efforts of the international community to protect energy security, supply chains and the freedom of navigation in maritime passages in accordance with relevant international resolutions and treaties.