Saudi Arabia at UN: Iran's continued attacks on neighbors will cost it politically

2026-03-25 - 15:40

GENEVA — Saudi Arabia reiterated on Wednesday its condemnation of the Iranian attacks targeting the Kingdom and other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, in addition to Jordan, stressing that these countries are not parties to the ongoing conflict. “These attacks represent a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of states and the integrity of their territories, and a clear violation of international conventions and international law,” said Ambassador Abdulmohsen bin Khothaila, Saudi Arabia’s representative at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.Bin Khothaila emphasized that Iran's continued approach will not bring Tehran any gains, but will instead cost it a high political and economic price and increase its isolation. He called on Tehran to reconsider its miscalculations. He warned that continuing to attack countries in the region will lead to counterproductive results that will exacerbate their suffering and increase Iran’s isolation. "Targeting a neighbor is a cowardly act and a blatant violation of the most basic principles of good neighborliness. Targeting a mediator is a betrayal of peace efforts and a deliberate undermining of any path to de-escalation, especially when the attacks target countries that are not party to the conflict,” he said. The ambassador criticized Iran for disrupting navigation in the Strait of Hormuz in the Arabian Gulf. Since early March, Iran has blocked the Strait of Hormuz, attacking merchant ships and only granting passage to some vessels. Bin Khothaila described the Iranian attacks as blatant aggression that cannot be justified, accepted, or tolerated. “What Iran is doing reflects an approach based on blackmail, sponsoring militias, targeting neighboring countries, and destabilizing them." He emphasized that the Iranian attacks represent a direct threat to international peace and security and a flagrant violation of international conventions and international law.“These attacks have resulted in civilian casualties, targeting residential areas, civilian facilities, vital infrastructure,” he said.