BAGHDAD: Four people were killed in clashes among rival Shiite Muslim militants in the southern Iraqi city of Basra that took place overnight and on Thursday morning, local security officials said.
It was the latest violence to hit the country in a political crisis that pits followers of the powerful Shiite cleric Moqtada Al-Sadr against mostly Iran-aligned parties and paramilitary groups.
The security officials said the clashes took place in the center of Basra, Iraq’s main oil-producing hub. Two of those killed were members of Sadr’s Peace Brigades militia, they said.
Violence re-erupted in Iraq this week as armed supporters of Sadr fought with security forces and Iran-aligned gunmen in Baghdad in the fiercest street battles the capital has seen for years.
An intractable political deadlock between the two rival Shiite camps has left Iraq without a government since an October election. It has also deepened dysfunction and instability as Iraqis struggle to move on from decades of war, sanctions, civil strife and endemic corruption.
Clashes in Iraq’s Basra among Shiite rivals cause casualties
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Clashes in Iraq’s Basra among Shiite rivals cause casualties
- The skirmishes were the latest violence to hit the country in a political crisis that pits followers of the powerful cleric Moqtada Al-Sadr against mostly Iran-aligned parties and paramilitary groups
GCC Foreign Ministers affirm the right of its states to respond to any aggression
- An emergency virtual meeting led by Bahrain to discuss recent Iranian attacks
MANAMA: The Ministerial Council of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) held its 50th extraordinary meeting via video conference on Sunday, March 1, 2026, chaired by Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain and current Chairman of the GCC Ministerial Council.
The meeting discussed Iranian missile and drone attacks on the United Arab Emirates, Kingdom of Bahrain, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Sultanate of Oman, State of Qatar, and State of Kuwait, which began on Saturday, February 28, 2026.
The Council expressed its rejection and strongest condemnation of these heinous Iranian attacks targeting GCC countries, as well as the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, in a serious violation of these countries' sovereignty, good neighborly principles, and a clear breach of international law and the UN Charter, regardless of pretexts and justifications. Targeting civilians and civilian objects constitutes a serious violation of international humanitarian law.
The Council expressed complete solidarity among GCC countries, standing united against these attacks, emphasizing that the security of its states is indivisible, and any aggression against a member state is a direct attack on all GCC countries, in accordance with the GCC Charter and Joint Defense Agreement. The Council affirmed the GCC countries' legal right to respond, in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter, which guarantees the right to self-defense individually and collectively in case of aggression, and to take all measures to preserve their sovereignty, security, and stability.
The Ministerial Council emphasized that in light of this unjustified Iranian aggression against GCC countries, they will take all necessary measures to defend their security, stability, and protect their territories, citizens, and residents, including the option to respond to the aggression.
Despite numerous diplomatic efforts by GCC countries to avoid escalation and their confirmation that their territories will not be used to launch any attack on the Islamic Republic of Iran, Iran continued to carry out military operations against GCC countries, targeting many civilian and residential facilities.
The Ministerial Council stressed the need for an immediate halt to these attacks to restore security, peace, and stability in the region, emphasizing the importance of preserving air, sea, and waterway security in the region, the safety of supply chains, and ensuring the stability of global energy markets. The stability of the Gulf region is not only a regional issue but a fundamental pillar for global economic stability and maritime navigation.
The Ministerial Council called on the international community to strongly condemn these attacks and urged the Security Council to assume its responsibilities by taking an immediate and firm stance to prevent these violations that endanger the lives of inhabitants and prevent their recurrence, due to their serious implications for regional and international peace.
