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The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and several other Arab and Islamic states issued a strong joint statement on Thursday, condemning Iran's "blatant and criminal" attacks on their energy infrastructure, stressing that they have the right and readiness to take self-defensive actions in the future.
The statement comes after a series of missile and drone attacks by Iran, which have hit oil terminals, liquefied natural gas (LNG) plants and other critical facilities in countries such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain. The attacks, which according to sources took place mainly from March 18-19, 2026 in retaliation for Israeli strikes on Iranian gas fields, such as South Pars, have caused extensive material damage that is expected to take years to repair and very high economic costs.
The Gulf countries expressed particular concern over the fact that several attacks have been carried out from Iraqi territory by armed groups and militias closely linked to Iran (proxies), stressing that these actions constitute ongoing violations of international law, state sovereignty and the principles of good neighborliness.
"The ministers condemned in the strongest possible terms these unjustified Iranian attacks on GCC countries, which threaten regional and global security ," the GCC's joint statements, as well as those with the EU, the US, Britain and other countries, said.
They stressed that the attacks have targeted civilian infrastructure, including oil and gas plants, utility facilities and residential areas, endangering civilian lives and the stability of global energy markets.
This is not the first time that Gulf states have reacted with strong statements to Iranian aggression on their energy infrastructure. However, the current tone is harsher, with a clear signal that states have the right to self-defense under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter. The attacks have also negatively affected global oil and gas prices, raising concerns about the security of global energy supplies and the Strait of Hormuz.
The statement was issued after consultative meetings of Arab and Islamic foreign ministers in Riyadh, as well as joint GCC-EU and GCC-UK meetings. It was also joined by countries such as Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Pakistan and Azerbaijan. Iran, on the other hand, has claimed that its attacks were retaliation for Israeli and American strikes, calling several objects in the Gulf “related to the US”. However, countries in the region rejected this justification, calling it an open aggression against their sovereignty.
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