Bahrain Calls for Ensuring Security of Maritime and Air Navigation

Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdul Latif bin Rashid Al Zayani called for ensuring the security of maritime and air navigation and the flow of data, stating that these represent the essential arteries of global connectivity that must remain safe and open. This came during a speech delivered by Al Zayani at the seventh session of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA), held in Azerbaijan under the presidency of President Ilham Aliyev, with the participation of numerous heads of state and government, foreign ministers, and representatives of regional and international organizations.

Al Zayani added that Bahrain, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, and Jordan have been subjected in recent months to attacks targeting cities, infrastructure, and civilians, in violation of the principles of sovereignty, non-interference, good neighborliness, and the peaceful settlement of disputes. He affirmed that, as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, Bahrain calls for the full implementation of Council Resolution 2817 (2026), which was sponsored by the Kingdom and supported by 136 countries.

He clarified that the disruption of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and the risks facing ships at the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Red Sea threaten global supply chains, energy security, and food security, noting that approximately 1,600 commercial vessels have been effectively blockaded and more than 23,000 seafarers have been deprived of their freedom, far from their families.

Al Zayani strongly condemned the missile and drone attacks launched this week by the Houthi militia against airports in Riyadh, Abha, Jazan, and Najran in Saudi Arabia, which resulted in the deaths of civilians, including citizens of countries represented at the conference. He regarded these attacks as a serious violation of international law and the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation.