Attack on ships dangerous development: Arab leaders

The GCC Summit in Makkah has condemned the recent sabotage operations, which targeted four tankers in UAE’s regional waters and drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities.

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, led the UAE delegation to the emergency Arab summit, called for by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia, in Makkah.

The GCC leaders discussed the exceptional circumstances and dangerous challenges the region is undergoing following the recent attacks on the UAE and Saudi Arabia and their ramifications and direct threat to the regional security and peace, to freedom of global marine navigation and trade as well as to world oil markets as a result of attempts by some countries to undermine security and stability of the region, support terrorism and interfere in other countries’ internal affairs.

In its final communique, the Makkah Summit termed the attacks on the four commercial vessels, including an Emirati oil tanker, as “a dangerous development” that threatens security and safety of marine navigation in the strategic region and reflects negatively on the regional and international peace and security as well as on world oil markets.

“The GCC stands in solidarity with the UAE and supports any measures and steps taken by the UAE to protect its security, stability and territorial safety,” said the communique, calling on the  international community and international marine navigation organisations to shoulder their responsibilities to prevent recurrence of such acts of sabotage.

The GCC leaders also condemned the Iranian-backed Houthi militias’ drone attack against oil pumping stations in the Saudi districts of Duwadmi and Afif. The leaders, in a final communique following their one-day urgent summit in Makkah, said these terrorist attacks were undermining security of the region, global economy and international oil supplies.

The GCC, it said, voiced full solidarity with Saudi Arabia against these terrorist threats and supported Saudi Arabia’s measures to protect its security, stability and territorial safety, citing more than 225 ballistic missile attacks and over 155 drone attacks by terrorist Houthi militias against Saudi areas, including the holy city of Makkah.

The GCC leaders affirmed the collective security to defend entities and interest of their countries and regional waters.

They said the security of the six GCC countries was integrated and any attack on any member deemed an assault on all countries, in line with the GCC statute and the defence treaty.

On Iran, the GCC leaders said Iran should commit itself to principles of UN Charter, international law, good neighbourliness, respect sovereignty of other states, non-interference in affairs of internal affairs of other countries, refrain from use of force or threatening to use it, cease supporting, funding and arming terrorist militias and groups, and stop fueling sectarian disputes.

“Iran should spare the region any conflicts by respecting international laws and conventions, not interfering in internal affairs of regional countries, stopping its support of terrorist groups and threatening safety of international maritime routes and navigation,” the final communique underlined.

The GCC leaders commended the co-ordination and consultation with the US within the US-GCC strategic partnership and bilateral agreements to achieve security and stability of the region. They expressed their support for the US strategy against Iran. They urged the international community to secure maritime navigation following attacks on UAE and Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Ibrahim Bin Abdulaziz Al Assaf has affirmed the success of Gulf and Arab summits in garnering support for Saudi and UAE position against the actions carried out by the Houthi militia.

Arab leaders also condemned ?acts of sabotage? by Iranian-backed Houthi militia on commercial ships in UAE’s regional waters and on two oil pump stations in Saudi Arabia.

The leaders of Arab countries condemned the acts of the Houthi terrorist militias and Iran’s behaviour which is against the good neighbourliness principles and threatens the security and stability in the region.

WAM