Washington DC [US], March 2 : The United States and six Arab nations on Monday issued a strongly worded statement condemning Iran's recent missile and drone attacks across West Asia, calling them "indiscriminate", "reckless", and a dangerous escalation that threatens regional stability.
The statement, released by the governments of the US, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, followed a wave of Iranian strikes that targeted multiple countries in the region, which came in a retaliatory action by the Islamic Republic following US-Israel strikes on Iran that led to the death of the country's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his family.
"The United States, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates strongly condemn the Islamic Republic of Iran's indiscriminate and reckless missile and drone attacks against sovereign territories across the region, including Bahrain, Iraq--including the Iraqi Kurdistan Region--Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. These unjustified strikes targeted sovereign territory, endangered civilian populations, and damaged civilian infrastructure," the statement read.
"The Islamic Republic's actions represent a dangerous escalation that violates the sovereignty of multiple states and threatens regional stability. The targeting of civilians and of countries not engaged in hostilities is reckless and destabilizing behavior," it added.
The seven governments reaffirmed what they described as their inherent right to self-defence under international law and emphasised unity in protecting their citizens and territorial integrity.
"We stand united in defense of our citizens, sovereignty, and territory," the statement said.
The signatories also praised what they described as effective air and missile defense coordination, which they said prevented significantly greater loss of life and destruction.
"We remain committed to regional security and commend the effective air and missile defense cooperation that has prevented far greater loss of life and destruction," it added.
The acknowledgement underscores growing security cooperation between the US and Gulf and regional partners amid rising threats from missile and drone capabilities from Tehran as tensions escalates.