GCC Secretary-General Condemns Iran's Blatant Attacks on Two ADNOC Tankers

Riyadh, August 14 (KUNA) -- The Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Jassem Al-Budaiwi, on Friday condemned the brazen and repeated Iranian attacks targeting two tankers owned by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) of the United Arab Emirates as they transited the Strait of Hormuz. In a statement, Al-Budaiwi stressed that these attacks constitute a serious and unacceptable escalation and a direct threat to the security and safety of maritime navigation and international trade in one of the world’s most vital waterways, in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and relevant Security Council resolutions, including Resolution 2817. He firmly rejected any Iranian attempts to turn this crucial international waterway into a tool for coercion and intimidation, calling on the international community to assume its responsibilities and adopt a firm stance to halt these repeated attacks and ensure the security and freedom of maritime navigation in line with the principles of international law, the law of the sea, and relevant international resolutions. He reaffirmed the GCC’s full and steadfast solidarity with the United Arab Emirates, its support for the UAE, and its backing of all measures taken by the UAE to protect its security, sovereignty, assets, and interests. (End) KH N Sh / T M A