Al-Badawi: Iran's disruption of international navigation constitutes a "flagrant violation" of international law - Sarmad
Jasim Al-Budaiwi, Secretary-General of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC), affirmed that Iran’s disruption of international navigation and closure of the Strait of Hormuz constitutes a “flagrant violation” of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
He made these remarks in a speech delivered on Wednesday evening during the joint ministerial meeting between the GCC and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), held on the sidelines of the High-Level Week of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Al-Budaiwi stated that the repercussions of these developments have not been confined to the region, but have extended to countries worldwide. He clarified that GCC member states have faced more than 7,000 ballistic missile and drone attacks by Iran since February 28, targeting vital facilities and causing significant human casualties and material damage.
He emphasized that GCC states were not parties to the war, and have made intensive mediation efforts while exercising the highest degree of restraint to contain escalation.
He underscored the GCC states’ position calling for Iran’s full compliance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2817, the permanent and unconditional cessation of attacks, ensuring their non-recurrence, and the restoration of navigation in the Straits of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb to their status prior to February 28.
Al-Budaiwi expressed the GCC’s rejection of any unilateral measures imposing fees or conditions on the right of passage, while holding Iran fully legally responsible and requiring compensation for the damages resulting from its attacks.
Regarding Gulf-Asian relations, Al-Budaiwi noted that this meeting is a continuation of the momentum achieved by the Gulf-ASEAN summits held in Riyadh in 2023 and Kuala Lumpur in 2025, which contributed to advancing cooperation and partnership between the two sides to broader horizons, serving the interests of their peoples and supporting stability and prosperity in both regions.
He expressed confidence that strengthening cooperation between the two sides, in light of current circumstances, will have a positive impact on the trajectory of joint efforts, especially given that their relations are “historic and firmly established” and are witnessing growing development. He called on technical working groups to intensify their efforts to develop areas of cooperation that achieve mutual benefit and shared interests.
