Iran on Friday rejected a joint statement issued by US Secretary of State and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) foreign ministers, describing it as “interventionist, irresponsible and provocative.”
In a statement, Iran’s Foreign Ministry criticised the joint communiqué released after the GCC-US ministerial meeting in Bahrain, accusing Washington of pursuing hostile and interventionist policies in the region.
Tehran dismissed the US commitment to the security of GCC member states as “mere rhetoric,” arguing that the American military presence has instead fuelled insecurity and regional divisions. It also claimed that the use of military bases in regional countries during recent US and Israeli strikes on Iran demonstrated Washington’s disregard for the security of its Gulf partners.
The ministry urged countries whose territory was allegedly used in the attacks to reconsider their stance, saying international law and the principle of good neighbourliness require them to prevent their territory from being used for hostile actions against Iran.
Iran also rejected accusations regarding its nuclear programme, calling them fabricated by the US and Israel, and invited GCC states to work with Tehran toward establishing a nuclear weapons-free zone in West Asia.
Responding to concerns over its missile and drone programme, Tehran said it would not show “the slightest leniency” in protecting its sovereignty and maintaining its military deterrence.
The ministry criticised the GCC for adopting the US and Israeli position by referring to Palestinian and Lebanese resistance groups as “Iranian proxies,” asserting that Israel is the only “proxy” in the region.
On the Strait of Hormuz, Iran blamed recent security disruptions on US and Israeli military operations and accused some regional states of being complicit. It reiterated that the strategic waterway falls within the territorial waters of Iran and Oman and said shipping would be managed under Article 5 of the recently signed war-ending memorandum of understanding.
Calling for a new regional security framework, Iran urged GCC countries to prioritise cooperation among neighbouring states instead of relying on foreign powers.
The response came a day after the US and GCC called for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, stressing that free and unrestricted navigation through the waterway is vital for regional and global security. Their joint statement also reaffirmed the goal of preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, welcomed the recently signed US-Iran memorandum of understanding, acknowledged the mediation efforts of Pakistan and Qatar, and said future trade and investment with Iran would depend on Tehran’s compliance with the agreement and an end to what they described as its “destabilising behaviour.”
