NEW YORK: Bahrain has circulated a draft resolution to the UN Security Council that condemns Iran’s missile and drone attacks on the GCC states and Jordan, and demands Tehran “immediately and unconditionally” halt its “provocations and threats to neighboring countries.”
The text, seen by Arab News, was distributed to council members on Sunday on behalf of the GGC members Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
The GCC condemns “unequivocally, in the strongest terms” the “heinous” Iranian missile and drone strikes targeting the territories of the Gulf countries and Jordan.
It states that such acts constitute “a breach of international law and a serious threat to international peace and security.”
The resolution demands the “immediate cessation of all attacks” by Iran against these states and calls on Tehran to stop any provocations or threats toward neighboring countries, including through the use of proxy forces.
Diplomats told Arab News the council is expected to discuss the proposal during closed consultations on Monday. Bahrain is seeking co-sponsors for the draft, including from EU states, the diplomats added.
The draft sought to highlight the importance of the Gulf region to international peace and security. And its vital role in the stability of the world economy, evoking Council Resolution 552 — adopted in 1984 — which reaffirmed the right of free navigation in international waters and sea lanes for shipping.
The text also expresses strong support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Gulf states and Jordan and reaffirms the inherent right of “individual or collective self-defense in response to the deplorable armed attacks by the Islamic Republic of Iran,” under Article 51 of the UN Charter.
The draft deplores Iran’s “deliberate targeting” of civilians and civilian infrastructure, “including airports, energy installations, objects necessary for food production and distribution, and critical civilian infrastructure.”
In addition, the GCC slammed what it termed the “indiscriminate use of weapons in populated areas and their consequences for the civilian population, as well as attacks and threats on merchant and commercial vessels in and near the Strait of Hormuz.”
It stated that the “disruption of maritime security and the adverse impact on international trade, energy security and the global economy resulting from destabilizing activities and regional tensions” are a “violation of international law.”
The text also warned against any actions aimed at obstructing international navigation through the Bab Al-Mandab Strait.
The draft added that states have the right to defend their vessels against attacks that threaten freedom of navigation.
