GCC secretary-general says Iran targeted Gulf states with over 7,000 drones and missiles

GULF — The secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) said Iran targeted civilian sites in Gulf states with more than 7,000 drones and ballistic missiles, according to a Telegram post by Al Jazeera Mubasher on 18 October 2026.

The post is the only source for this report. It carried the label "breaking" and gave the claim in a single headline line. It did not include a full statement, a transcript or a video of the remarks.

What the post says

In the post, published at 10:10 GMT, the channel said the GCC secretary-general accused Iran of targeting what it described in Arabic as civilian objects in the Gulf states. The channel put the number of drones and ballistic missiles at "more than 7,000". It attributed that figure to the secretary-general.

The post does not say whether the figure covers drones and missiles combined or lists them separately. It also does not give a breakdown by type of weapon.

What is not confirmed

The post does not name the secretary-general. It does not say where or on what occasion the remarks were made. It does not say whether they came in a speech, a news conference or a written statement.

It also does not say:

• over what period the launches took place;
• which Gulf states were targeted, or how many times each was hit;
• how many of the drones and missiles were intercepted;
• whether there were casualties or damage, or what kind of sites were affected.

Al Jazeera Mubasher's post gives no response from Iran. Zenga News has not independently verified the figure or the claim that civilian sites were targeted. The number is the GCC secretary-general's assertion as relayed by the channel. No other outlet, government or official statement is cited in the post to confirm it.

Because the post was published on social media and is unverified, the claim should be treated as an allegation attributed to the GCC official until a full statement or a second source confirms it.

Background

The GCC is a regional bloc of Gulf states, and its secretary-general speaks for the organisation. The source material supplied for this report contains no further background. It does not describe the events behind the reported launches, the current state of relations between Iran and the GCC members, or any earlier statements by the bloc on the matter.

Zenga News will update this report if the full remarks from the GCC secretary-general, or a response from Iranian officials, becomes available.