PGCC ministerial council issues statement critical of Iran and Yemen at Manama session

The Ministerial Council of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC) issued its final statement at the close of its 108th session, held in Manama, the capital of Bahrain, according to Mehr News. The statement condemned retaliatory attacks by the Yemeni army against Saudi Arabian positions and asserted that the strikes targeted civilian airports and vital facilities in Saudi Arabia, causing civilian casualties.

The Council called for the implementation of United Nations Security Council resolutions concerning Yemen and for tighter restrictions on arms supplies to the Ansarullah movement. It also urged an end to support that, in the Council's assessment, enables the group to obtain missiles and drones.

In another section of the statement, allegations were directed at the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Council condemned missile and drone attacks it attributed to Iran against PGCC member states and Jordan. The statement did not refer to attacks launched from US bases in the region against Iran, and it held Tehran responsible for the strikes, demanding an immediate halt and compensation for the alleged damages.

The foreign ministers of the PGCC member states also called for a return to dialogue and diplomacy to overcome the current crisis between the United States and Iran. The session was held in Bahrain's capital, and the final statement was released at its conclusion. Mehr News reported that the statement contained the Council's positions on Yemen, on alleged Iranian actions, and on the US-Iran crisis, and that it did not address strikes carried out from US bases in the region against Iran.