Saudi FM Slams Iran's "Blackmail," Warns of Regional Destabilization

The Foreign Minister made the remarks at a press conference following the meeting with several foreign ministers from Arab and Islamic countries, hosted by Saudi Arabia.

While speaking at the press conference, the foreign minister strongly condemned Iranian attacks on Saudi Arabia, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, and several Arab, Islamic, and friendly nations. He Highness also denounced Iran's continued actions to destabilize the region, its flagrant violations of international law and conventions, and the direct threat it poses to global peace and security.

"We have repeatedly warned of the dangers of continued escalatory policies, seeking to spare the region further tension out of our shared commitment to wisdom and peaceful solutions," the Minister said.

He added, "However, Iran's insistence on violating the principles of good neighborliness has eroded trust in it both regionally and internationally."

The Saudi Foreign Minister stressed the need for an immediate end to Iranian aggression and rejected Tehran's attempts to evade responsibility for attacks targeting residential areas, civilian infrastructure, and vital facilities. Prince Faisal stated that these actions have caused significant loss of life and material damage, harming the national interests of Arab and Islamic countries, the statement noted.

"Iran premeditated these heinous attacks. This behavior is not accidental; rather, it is part of a long-standing pattern of blackmail and of sponsoring and supporting militias to target and destabilize neighboring countries," the minister added.

As per the statement, he said that aggression against neighbors constitutes a violation of covenants and agreements and directly contradicts the teachings of Islam. He added that funding and arming militias do not serve Islamic unity, but instead undermine it.Faisal bin Farhan stressed that continued aggression would bring Iran no gains and would rather produce adverse consequences, increase the country's burdens, exact a heavy political price, and deepen its isolation.

He further reiterated the participating countries' appreciation for what he described as unprecedented international solidarity and said the support of 136 UN members demonstrated this state's support for Security Council Resolution 2817, which demands that Iran immediately cease its attacks and refrain from threats or provocative actions against neighboring countries.

"The participating countries emphasized the need to immediately implement the Security Council resolution, halt support for proxies in the region, and compel Iran to abandon its hostile policies," he said.

On the issue of maritime security, the statement noted that he said that the meeting condemned attacks on commercial vessels in the Arabian Gulf and disruptions to navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, warning of their severe repercussions for the global economy and further noted that any infringement on freedom of navigation constitutes a serious threat to international peace and requires collective action to ensure safe passage. He added that attacks on energy resources and food security requirements negatively affect the global economy, with a disproportionate impact on vulnerable developing countries.

In his concluding remarks, the foreign minister affirmed the continuation of intensive consultations among regional countries to monitor developments, formulate common positions, and adopt the necessary legitimate measures to protect national security and stability, laying the foundations for broader international action.

- ANI