MANAMA, Bahrain — Foreign ministers from the Gulf Cooperation Council strongly condemned Iranian attacks on Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan during an emergency meeting in Manama on Tuesday, warning that the strikes threaten regional stability, global trade and energy supplies at a moment of heightened vulnerability. The condemnation came as the broader US-Iran confrontation deepens, with Washington launching fresh airstrikes and Tehran retaliating against countries hosting American forces.
Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Alzayani told reporters at the close of the 167th GCC ministerial session that Iranian attacks had targeted critical infrastructure, economic facilities and residential areas, causing significant human and material losses across the three nations. “These are not isolated incidents,” Alzayani said. “This is a pattern of brutal aggression that must stop.”
Hormuz Closure Sends Shockwaves Through Global Markets
The GCC ministers also voiced sharp concern over Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most critical maritime chokepoint for oil shipments. Disruptions to navigation through the strategic waterway are already affecting international trade flows, energy supplies and the broader global economy, the ministers said in a joint communiqué. Oil markets have reacted with alarm, with crude prices climbing sharply on fears of prolonged supply disruptions.
The timing of the Hormuz closure compounds an already volatile regional security environment. For weeks, Iranian forces have carried out strikes on military installations and economic targets inside Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan — all key allies of the United States and hosts to American military personnel. The attacks have drawn retaliatory US airstrikes against Iranian positions, prompting further Iranian retaliation against American allies in the region.
“Peace, security and economic prosperity in the Gulf depend entirely on respect for sovereignty and an immediate end to actions that threaten regional stability,” the GCC joint statement read. “Diplomacy remains our preference, but meaningful dialogue requires a genuine cessation of hostilities.”
US-Iran Exchanges Test Fragile Ceasefire
The GCC meeting coincided with a new escalation between Washington and Tehran. The United States launched airstrikes against Iranian targets on Wednesday, prompting Iranian retaliatory attacks on facilities in countries hosting American forces. President Donald Trump warned that further military action could follow, accusing Iran of obstructing diplomatic efforts and threatening regional security. The latest exchanges mark the second major test of a fragile two-month ceasefire that had briefly reduced hostilities before collapsing under the weight of new incidents.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are expected to travel to Geneva for indirect talks, a diplomatic channel that has produced no breakthrough so far. Gulf officials said they Support all efforts to reach a sustainable ceasefire but questioned how meaningful regional cooperation could be achieved while attacks continue.
Regional Fallout Fears Grow
Analysts warn that continued exchanges between Iran, the United States and regional actors risk drawing more countries into the conflict. With key energy infrastructure and major shipping lanes under direct threat, governments across the Gulf are monitoring developments with mounting anxiety. The Arab League has called for an emergency conference to de-escalate tensions, though no date has been set.
Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry said Iranian projectiles had struck two industrial zones near the country’s northern border, damaging storage facilities and causing a fire at a small power plant. In Bahrain, authorities reported damage to a port facility south of Manama. Jordan confirmed that an Iranian drone had been intercepted over Amman before it could reach its intended target. No casualties were reported in the initial strikes, though officials warned the damage to infrastructure could take months to repair.
As diplomatic efforts struggle to regain momentum, the GCC’s unified condemnation underscores a deepening rift between Iran and its Gulf neighbours. The bloc’s six members — Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — have historically avoided taking sides in the Iran-US confrontation, but the latest strikes appear to have shifted that calculus. Three GCC members were directly hit. That, Gulf analysts say, changes everything.