This came in the final statement of an emergency meeting of Arab foreign ministers held in Istanbul, chaired by Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, to discuss developments in the Israeli-Iranian military escalation and its regional and international repercussions. The meeting was held on the sidelines of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit, which begins Saturday.
The Arab ministers considered the Israeli attack on Iran a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of a UN member state and a clear breach of international law and the UN Charter. They emphasized that diplomatic efforts and serious dialogue are the only way to resolve differences, including the Iranian nuclear issue.
The statement also stressed that halting the escalation in the region requires addressing the roots of tension, most notably ending the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, ensuring the urgent and adequate flow of humanitarian aid, and halting violations in the West Bank that undermine the prospects for a two-state solution.
The ministers stressed the need to respect freedom of navigation in international waterways and rejected any targeting of vital infrastructure or nuclear facilities under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency. They warned of the repercussions of nuclear emissions and environmental pollution in the event of a wider confrontation.
They called for a Middle East region free of weapons of mass destruction, the implementation of UN resolutions and decisions of previous Arab summits, especially the Baghdad Summit (May 2025), and the necessity of all countries in the region joining the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).
This stance comes amid the ongoing Israeli aggression against Iran, which has been ongoing since June 13, with US support. This aggression has targeted nuclear facilities, missile bases, military leaders, and scientists, and Tehran has responded with ballistic missiles and drones, in the largest direct confrontation between the two sides to date.
Meanwhile, Israel has continued its bloody aggression on the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, resulting in the deaths and injuries of more than 186,000 Palestinians, most of them children and women, and more than 11,000 missing. This has been achieved despite international calls and orders from the International Court of Justice to halt the genocide.
