GCC chief urges Russia to press Iran to halt attacks on member states

MANAMA — Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi asked Russia on Sunday to press Iran to stop attacks on GCC states, according to Antara, which cited the GCC General Secretariat.

Albudaiwi spoke at the ninth GCC-Russia Strategic Dialogue, a joint ministerial meeting in Manama, Bahrain, Antara reported. GCC foreign ministers and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov attended, according to the report. Antara said it was translating a Xinhua text.

What Albudaiwi said

Albudaiwi urged Russia to take an active role in pushing Iran to end what he called a wave of attacks on GCC members, Antara reported. He also asked Iran to respect freedom of navigation and to engage in dialogue based on good neighbourliness and respect for sovereignty.

He described the meeting as taking place at a very critical time, according to the report. He said GCC states faced unprecedented attacks that threatened their security and sovereignty, as well as maritime navigation and energy supplies.

According to Albudaiwi, Iranian attacks on GCC states since 28 February have involved more than 7,000 ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles. He said the targets included airports, ports, power plants, desalination plants, and oil and gas facilities. Antara attributed these figures to Albudaiwi. The report did not say whether they had been independently verified.

Attack on Riyadh airport

Albudaiwi said the Iranian attacks were accompanied by Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, Antara reported. He pointed to what he described as a major attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on 10 October. He said it killed 12 people and injured more than 300.

He reaffirmed GCC solidarity with Saudi Arabia, according to the report. He also voiced support for measures taken to protect the kingdom's security and sovereignty. He called on the international community to take a firm position against attacks targeting the country.

Shipping and the UN resolution

Albudaiwi criticised disruption to maritime navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, Antara reported. He also criticised threats to shipping in the Bab al-Mandab strait and the Red Sea. He said such actions posed risks to global energy security, food security and international supply chains.

He called for full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2817, according to the report. He said the bloc hoped Russia, as a permanent member of the Security Council, could encourage Iran to comply with it. Antara did not describe the contents of the resolution.

Reactions and unconfirmed points

The Antara report did not include a response from Russia, Lavrov or Iran. It did not say what the meeting produced beyond Albudaiwi's remarks. The casualty figures and the number of missiles and drones come from Albudaiwi's statement as relayed by Antara. The report did not cite other sources for them.

Background

Albudaiwi said GCC states attach great importance to strengthening relations with Russia, according to Antara. He spoke of expanding cooperation in politics, trade, culture, education, agriculture, health and energy. He said this would proceed under the 2023-2028 Joint Action Plan.

Antara's report was published on 19 October. It gave the date of the meeting as Sunday, 18 October.