Brussels, July 18 (SANA) The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the European Union (EU) on Saturday condemned Iranian attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and against Gulf states and Jordan, calling them a serious threat to regional security and international navigation.
The joint statement was issued by EU High Representative Kaja Kallas, on behalf of the European Union, and Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, in his capacity as chairman of the GCC Ministerial Council, following the High-Level Forum on Regional Security and Cooperation held in Brussels last Monday under their co-chairmanship.
The two sides called on Iran to immediately halt attacks on commercial vessels and regional states and to ensure the uninterrupted flow of maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
According to the statement, the GCC and the EU stressed that freedom of navigation through the strategic waterway must be guaranteed in accordance with international law and the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea. They also urged compliance with U.N. Security Council Resolution 2817.
The two sides rejected any unilateral claims of sovereignty or control over the Strait of Hormuz, saying no country has the right to impose transit permits, fees or other restrictions on international shipping through the waterway.
They also reaffirmed their solidarity with the countries affected by the attacks and with seafarers whose safety had been put at risk, stressing that the security of international shipping is a shared international responsibility.
The GCC and the EU underscored the importance of cooperation through international and regional maritime organizations, particularly the International Maritime Organization, to safeguard maritime security and freedom of navigation.
The statement reaffirmed both sides’ commitment to continued coordination to protect international shipping, preserve regional security and pursue dialogue and diplomacy as the preferred means of resolving the crisis.
The statement came amid heightened tensions in the Gulf following renewed military exchanges between the United States and Iran, with the Strait of Hormuz remaining at the center of international concerns over global energy supplies and maritime security.
Kh.A / AbdRh
