Riyadh ministerial meeting condemns missile and drone strikes, calls for diplomacy and protection of regional sovereignty
Meeting of foreign ministers from Arab and Islamic countries in the region to deliberate on growing tensions in the Middle East PHOTO: X/MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA
Pakistan, along with 11 other Islamic countries, issued a joint statement on Thursday urging Iran to immediately stop its attacks on Gulf Cooperation Council countries and its regional allies, following a consultative ministerial meeting held the day before in Riyadh to deliberate on diplomatic efforts to ease the Middle East conflict.
The meeting comes as the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran intensifies, deepening instability in the Middle East. Iranian state television reported Wednesday that Iran targeted Tel Aviv with missiles carrying fragmentation warheads, calling the attack a retaliation for Israel’s assassination of Iranian security chief Ali Larijani.
According to the statement published by the Saudi Press Agency, the ministers of Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates “affirmed their condemnation and denunciation of these deliberate Iranian attacks with ballistic missiles and drones, which targeted residential areas, civilian infrastructure, including oil installations, factories desalination plants, airports, residential buildings and diplomatic premises.
The statement emphasizes that “such attacks cannot be justified under any pretext or in any manner” and emphasizes “the right of States to defend themselves in accordance with Article 51 of the United Nations Charter.”
The ministers called on Iran to “immediately cease its attacks” and stressed “the need to respect international law, international humanitarian law and the principles of good neighborliness, as a first step towards ending the escalation, establishing security and stability in the region and promoting diplomacy as a means of resolving the crisis.”
The statement further emphasizes that the future of relations with Iran depends on respecting the sovereignty of states and non-interference in their internal affairs, as well as refraining from violating their sovereignty or territories in any way, and not using or developing its military capabilities to threaten countries in the region.
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The ministers also called on Iran to comply with UN Security Council Resolution 2817 (2026), which “calls for an immediate cessation of all attacks, an unconditional cessation of any provocative acts or threats against neighboring States, and a cessation of support, financing and arming of its affiliated militias in Arab countries, which Iran does to further its objectives and against the interests of these countries.”
They further urged Iran to refrain from any measures or threats aimed at closing or impeding international shipping in the Strait of Hormuz or threatening maritime security in Bab al-Mandab.
Iran responded to the US-Israeli strikes with waves of drone and missile attacks not only against Israel but also against Gulf states hosting US military installations, including Saudi Arabia, widening the regional impact of the conflict.
The escalation has hit key infrastructure in Gulf countries, including airports, ports, hotels, and oil and military installations. Disruptions to oil and gas shipments passing through the Strait of Hormuz, a route that carries about a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas, have intensified economic concerns.
Lebanon
Furthermore, the ministers reaffirmed their support for “the security, stability and territorial integrity of Lebanon, by activating the sovereignty of the Lebanese state over all its territories and supporting the decision of the Lebanese government to limit weapons to the state.” They also condemned Israeli aggression against Lebanon and “its expansionist policy” in the region.
The statement concludes with ministers reaffirming their commitment to continued consultation and coordination, pledging to closely monitor developments and assess emerging challenges. They stressed that this approach “will ensure the formulation of common positions and the adoption of legitimate measures and procedures necessary to protect their security, stability and sovereignty, and to put an end to the heinous Iranian attacks on their territories.”
Diplomatic efforts
Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar arrived in Riyadh yesterday. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said FM Dar would use the meeting to reiterate Pakistan’s diplomatic stance amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.
Earlier, on March 12, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited Riyadh for detailed discussions on the regional situation with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Amid growing tensions following US-Israeli strikes on Iran, Pakistan has reiterated its strong strategic commitment to Saudi Arabia while calling for restraint to avoid a wider regional conflict.
