New York: The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the United States of America have stressed the importance of Iran’s compliance with international law, including the United Nations Charter, and respect for the sovereignty, political independence, and territorial integrity of states.
The Ministerial Meeting between the GCC and the USA was convened on September 25, 2024, in New York, co-chaired by the US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, current chairman of the GCC Ministerial Council, with foreign ministers from GCC member states and Secretary General Jasem Albudaiwi.
Both parties reiterated their commitment to work together to address Iran’s regional activities, including threats to sovereignty and territorial integrity and providing support to non-state actors who seek to destabilize the region. They also expressed support for diplomatic efforts aimed at promoting de-escalation.
The Ministers expressed their deep concern over the recent escalation in the region and its negative impact on regional security and stability. They underscored their support for the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and renewed their call for Iran to fully cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and to cease both nuclear expansions that lack credible civilian justification and undermine the IAEA’s efforts to verify that Iran’s nuclear program is exclusively peaceful.
The Gulf Cooperation Council and the United States further reiterated their commitment to work together to address Iran’s regional activities, including threats to sovereignty and territorial integrity and providing support to non-state actors who seek to destabilize the region. They also expressed support for diplomatic efforts aimed at promoting de-escalation. They expressed their serious concern about the proliferation of advanced ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to threaten regional security and undermine international peace and security.
The Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring freedom of navigation and maritime security in the region’s waterways and their determination to deter illegal actions by Iran-backed Houthis that threaten the lives and safety of seafarers, shipping lanes, international trade, and oil installations in the GCC states. They expressed deep concern for the humanitarian condition of the Yemeni civilian population and stressed the need for the Houthis to allow safe, rapid, and unimpeded access to humanitarian aid to all those in need.
The Gulf countries and the USA noted that Houthi attacks – inside and outside Yemen – harm the Yemeni people above all and called for the immediate release of all UN, NGO, and diplomatic staff illegitimately detained by the Houthis. They demanded the full implementation of UNSCR 2722, stressed the importance of maintaining maritime security, and demanded the Houthis halt attacks against vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. They underscored the importance of collective action to ensure freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and to respond to activities that threaten regional and global security and stability.
The Ministers reaffirmed their position that regional tensions should be resolved through peaceful means. They commended Saudi Arabia and Oman’s sustained efforts to encourage inclusive Yemeni-Yemeni dialogue and provide economic and humanitarian assistance to Yemen. They also reiterated their support for the United Arab Emirates’ call to reach a peaceful solution to the dispute with Iran over the three islands, Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa, through bilateral negotiations or the International Court of Justice, in accordance with the rules of international law including the UN Charter.
They reaffirmed their strong support and continued engagement for a meaningfully inclusive peace process within the framework of the GCC Initiative, Yemen’s National Dialogue outcomes, and UNSCR 2216 to resolve the longstanding conflict in Yemen.
The Ministers underscored their shared commitment to the strategic partnership between the GCC and the United States and to building upon the achievements of previous ministerial meetings, including the most recent in Riyadh on April 29, 2024, and to strengthen consultation, coordination, and cooperation in all fields.
