Gulf Foreign Ministers Condemn Ongoing Attacks by the Terrorist Houthi Militia on Saudi Arabia

- The security of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states is indivisible; any attack on any member state constitutes a direct attack on all GCC states.

- Condemnation of the continued Iranian attacks on GCC states and Jordan, whether carried out directly or through its proxies in the region.

- Ensuring freedom and safety of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and the Strait of Bab al-Mandab is a shared international interest and responsibility; closing or obstructing navigation poses a threat to international peace and security.

The Foreign Ministers’ Council of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) strongly condemned the ongoing attacks launched by the Houthi terrorist militia against Saudi Arabia, affirming the full solidarity of the GCC states with the Kingdom and their standing as one united front alongside it, and supporting all measures taken by the Kingdom to safeguard its sovereignty, protect its security, and defend its interests.

The GCC Foreign Ministers’ Council held its 168th session today, Sunday, in Manama, presided over by Dr. Abdul Latif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain and Chairman of the current session of the Council, with the participation of the foreign ministers of the GCC states and the Secretary-General of the GCC.

The Council strongly condemned the continuous attacks by the Houthi terrorist militia on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, including targeting the Two Holy Mosques and their surrounding areas, and attacking civilian airports and vital facilities, which resulted in civilian casualties and injuries. This constitutes a blatant violation of international law and international humanitarian law. The Council expressed its sincere condolences to the families of the victims and wished the injured a speedy recovery.

The Council reaffirmed the full solidarity of the GCC states with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, their unity in standing alongside it, and their support for all measures taken to safeguard its sovereignty, protect its security, and defend its interests. It emphasized that the security of the GCC states is indivisible, and that any attack on any member state is a direct attack on all GCC states, in accordance with the Joint Defense Agreement. It further affirmed the inherent right of the GCC states to defend themselves, individually and collectively, in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter, and to take all necessary measures to protect their citizens and residents, and to preserve their sovereignty, security, stability, and interests.

The Foreign Ministers’ Council called for the implementation of UN Security Council resolutions issued regarding Yemen and the Houthi rebellion, including Resolution 2216 (2015), adopted under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, and Resolution 2722 (2024) concerning attacks on ships in the Red Sea. It urged the United Nations and the international community to ensure strict enforcement of the arms embargo on the Houthi militia as stipulated in those resolutions. It called on the Security Council, and particularly its permanent members, to fulfill their responsibilities in maintaining international peace and security, enforcing its resolutions, and treating freedom of maritime and air navigation as a shared international interest that brooks no selectivity.

The Council also called for designating the Houthi militia as a terrorist organization and treating it in line with how the international system deals with terrorist groups that threaten security, peace, development, and prosperity, and for halting all support that enables it to possess missiles and drones.

The Council welcomed the Presidential Statement adopted by the United Nations Security Council by consensus on 15 October 2026, which condemned the ongoing and escalating Houthi attacks on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, including the targeting of Aramco facilities, and affirmed its right to self-defense in accordance with international law. It also condemned attacks and threats against commercial navigation in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, and stressed the full implementation of the arms embargo imposed under Resolution 2216 (2015), commending the efforts of the Kingdom of Bahrain in its capacity as a member of the Security Council in this regard, and reaffirming the necessity of full implementation of its provisions.

The Council condemned the continued Iranian attacks using missiles and drones on Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, whether directly or through its proxies in the region, which targeted civilian facilities, service sites, residential areas, and diplomatic missions, resulting in significant material damage and posing a threat to the security and safety of citizens and residents therein.

The Council held Iran fully responsible for these attacks and their repercussions, expressing its firm rejection of all claims put forward by Iran to justify them. It called for the immediate and unconditional cessation of all attacks, provocations, and threats, and for full compliance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2817 (2026).

The Council called upon the Security Council and the international community to fulfill their responsibilities and take necessary measures to ensure the full implementation of the resolution, to hold those responsible for these attacks accountable, and to compel Iran to fully compensate for all damages resulting from them, in accordance with United Nations Human Rights Council Resolution 61/1 (2026).

The Council affirmed that the Straits of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab, along with the Red Sea, are vital waterways whose importance extends beyond the countries of the region, representing major arteries of the global economy. It stressed that ensuring their security, safe navigation, and freedom of passage is a shared international interest and responsibility.

The Council emphasized that closing these waterways, obstructing navigation therein, targeting commercial vessels and their crews, laying mines, or imposing illegal fees or restrictions on transit constitutes a threat to international peace and security, and exposes global energy, food, pharmaceutical, and trade supplies to serious risks.

It underscored the necessity of restoring the security and freedom of navigation, and of returning conditions in the Strait of Hormuz to their state prior to 28 February 2026, in accordance with the rules and principles of international law, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 1982, and the Maritime Delimitation and Continental Shelf Agreement signed on 25 July 1974 between the Sultanate of Oman and Iran, while respecting the sovereignty of littoral states and the rights of concerned states.

The Ministerial Council called for a return to dialogue and diplomacy to overcome the current crisis, preserve the security, stability, and well-being of the region’s peoples, and expressed its support for mediation efforts and diplomatic initiatives undertaken by regional countries and sister and friendly nations to achieve a political solution that prevents the region from sliding into further tension and undermining security and stability, which would not serve the interests of the region or the world. It emphasized that any understandings must address all outstanding issues, including Iran’s nuclear file, missile program, drones, and support for proxies, based on respect for sovereignty, good neighborliness, and non-interference in internal affairs, with the participation of GCC countries in any negotiations or arrangements affecting their security and interests.