New York, May 14 (BNA): The Kingdom of Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the State of Kuwait, the State of Qatar, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan urgently submitted a joint letter to the United Nations, addressed to António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, and Ambassador Fu Cong, Permanent Representative of China and President of the Security Council for May, expressing their condemnation and categorical rejection of the recent statements made by an official of the Islamic Republic of Iran regarding the countries of the region and the Strait of Hormuz.
The letter also rejected the unacceptable claims contained in those statements concerning what was described as a new "administration" or "legal rules" for the Strait of Hormuz, as well as attempts to hold the countries of the region responsible for legitimate sovereign choices related to their security and international partnerships.
The letter emphasised that the Iranian statements come in the context of a continuous Iranian escalation against the countries of the region and their vital interests, and are an extension of the discourse of threat and pressure that targets the sovereignty of countries and the independence of their political and security decisions, threatens regional and international security, and undermines the principles of good neighbourliness, non-interference in the internal affairs of countries, and the settlement of disputes by peaceful means, as stipulated in the Charter of the United Nations.
It also reiterated that the Strait of Hormuz is a vital international waterway for navigation, trade, and energy, and that no single state, regardless of its geographical location, may claim the right to unilaterally control it or establish unilateral legal rules that infringe upon freedom of navigation, legitimate passage, or the safety of merchant vessels and seafarers. The states further emphasised in the letter that any attempt to use this strait as a tool of political or economic pressure constitutes a direct threat to international peace and security and is not a limited regional matter.
The letter stressed that the Iranian statements referred to do not create any legal right for Iran, nor do they change the legal status of the Strait, nor do they diminish the rights of other coastal states, nor the rights of the international community to safe and unrestricted navigation, in accordance with the rules of international law and relevant Security Council resolutions. It emphasised the rejection of any attempt to give legal or political cover to practices that would obstruct international navigation, impose illegal fees, plant or threaten to plant mines, discriminately classify or threaten ships, or endanger the safety of seafarers and global supply chains.
The letter expressed strong condemnation and denunciation of the blatant Iranian attack targeting an Emirati tanker belonging to ADNOC with two drones while it was passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
It stressed that the attack constitutes a flagrant violation of Security Council Resolution 2817, which emphasised freedom of navigation, rejected the targeting of commercial vessels or the disruption of international maritime routes, and condemned any acts or threats aimed at closing, obstructing, or interfering with international navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
The letter further noted that the resolution condemned in the strongest terms the Iranian attacks against the GCC countries and Jordan, demanded that Iran immediately and unconditionally cease all attacks, provocations, and threats against neighbouring countries, and affirmed that these attacks constitute a violation of international law and a threat to international peace and security.
It reiterated that the defence and security arrangements and international partnerships of the GCC countries and Jordan are legitimate sovereign practices based on independent national decisions, and are consistent with international law and the Charter of the United Nations, particularly Article (52) thereof. No third party has the right to impose security options, or to threaten the lands of states, their territorial waters, their airspace, or their civilian and vital facilities under the pretext of objecting to those options. Moreover, the attempt to portray Iranian attacks or threats as "security management" of waterways is nothing more than an unacceptable justification for illegal acts.
The letter concluded with six demands addressed to the Security Council and the Secretary-General of the United Nations. These included condemning recent Iranian statements, threats, and attacks related to the Strait of Hormuz and the countries of the region; demanding that the Islamic Republic of Iran immediately and publicly retract any claim to or threat of unilateral control over the Strait of Hormuz; and calling on Iran to refrain from enacting or implementing any rules, procedures, fees, threats of mine laying, or discriminatory measures that would restrict or impede international navigation.
The demands also included requiring Iran to immediately, unconditionally, and sustainably open the Strait of Hormuz to international navigation; guarantee the safety of commercial vessels and seafarers; and refrain from any military, paramilitary, or proxy action targeting maritime routes, civilian installations, or critical infrastructure in the countries of the region. The letter further called on Iran to comply fully and immediately with Security Council Resolution 2817 (2026) and all obligations under international law.
The letter also called on the Security Council to remain in session to follow up on the matter and to consider taking the necessary measures to safeguard freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and other international waterways and prevent the recurrence of using vital waterways as a tool for blackmail or political pressure. In addition, it held the Islamic Republic of Iran fully responsible under international law for all material, human, environmental, and economic damages arising from its actions, threats, or obstruction of navigation, while affirming the GCC states’ and Jordan’s right to seek full redress and compensation for all damages in accordance with international law.
H.K, A.A