Foreign ministers of Arab states on the Persian Gulf met on Wednesday to condemn a new round of Iranian attacks that targeted Bahrain and Kuwait, demanding an “immediate halt” to the hostilities and questioning whether their relations with Iran could be rebuilt.
“Persistence in this aggressive approach will only lead to further isolation,” the ministers said in a joint statement after the meeting in Bahrain.
Earlier on Wednesday, Bahrain’s military said it had intercepted and destroyed an unspecified number of missiles and drones launched by Iran, describing the barrage as a “treacherous” attack. Kuwait’s army also said that the country was intercepting hostile aerial projectiles, without providing further details.
Later, Kuwait’s foreign ministry issued a statement strongly condemning “repeated Iranian attacks” against the country.
Iran has continued to periodically strike the Gulf countries, which host major U.S. military bases, during the shaky cease-fire that began in April.
Iran’s foreign ministry said on Wednesday that it was the responsibility of Persian Gulf countries to prevent U.S. strikes on Iran from their territories and that Iran would not hesitate to defend itself by targeting the bases from where it is attacked.
With the exception of Bahrain, most of the Gulf countries have generally denied that they have allowed U.S. attacks against Iran to be launched from their territories. President Trump, however, has repeatedly said that Gulf countries, including Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, are fighting alongside the United States.
The Gulf foreign ministers said in their statement on Wednesday that they blamed Iran “fully” for its actions. They demanded an “immediate and complete halt to any targeting of Gulf countries, their interests and citizens.”
Still, they added, “the door to understanding remains open for those who choose a language of wisdom and good neighborliness.”
