NEW DELHI: Saudi Arabia’s national security, territorial integrity and resources are “non-negotiable,” Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said on Sunday, warning that Gulf states would not tolerate attacks on their territories or vital interests.
Speaking at the BRICS summit in New Delhi, Prince Faisal said the six members of the Gulf Cooperation Council would reject any targeting of their “territories, facilities or vital interests, regardless of the pretexts or labels.”
His remarks came after a series of attacks on Saudi Arabia in recent days, including a Houthi projectile that injured two people and damaged a mosque in the southern Jazan region on Saturday, and drone strikes launched from Iraq against the Kingdom’s East-West oil pipeline last week.
Prince Faisal also stressed the need to maintain freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and other maritime waterways, warning that disruption to shipping would have consequences far beyond the region.
“The stability of these waterways is directly linked to energy security and international trade flows,” he said. “Any disruption will have consequences that extend beyond the region to impact global markets, supply chains and economic growth.”
Disruptions to oil supplies and mounting threats to shipping have pushed energy security to the forefront of the widening Middle East conflict amid tensions in the Strait of Hormuz.
GCC states have repeatedly called for the unconditional reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and rejected restrictions, fees or unilateral arrangements governing passage through the waterway.
The two-day BRICS summit has been dominated by the Middle East conflict and its impact on global energy and trade.
BRICS leaders on Saturday expressed “deep concern” over the continued escalation in the Middle East and called for “maximum restraint” and for countries to avoid actions that could further aggravate the conflict.
