A group of 12 Arab and Muslim countries on Thursday condemned Iran’s “heinous” attacks, denouncing missile and drone attacks on civilian infrastructure and warning Tehran against further escalation.
The foreign ministers of Qatar, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates issued the joint statement after a consultative meeting in Riyadh.
The countries accused Iran of deliberately targeting residential areas, oil facilities, airports and diplomatic buildings across the region.
The ministers reaffirmed what they called the right of affected countries to defend themselves under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, and urged Iran to immediately stop its attacks and comply with international law.
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Foreign ministers from across the Arab and Muslim worlds will meet in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on March 18, 2026, for a consultative meeting aimed at de-escalating military tensions in the Middle East. (Mustafa Hatipoglu/Anadolu via Getty Images)
They also called on Tehran to respect their territorial sovereignty, stop supporting affiliated militias in Arab countries and avoid actions that could threaten maritime security, including in the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab, a key global shipping lane linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
The statement further expressed support for Lebanon’s stability and sovereignty, while also condemning Israel’s actions in the country and its “expansionist policies in the region.”
“The Ministers reaffirm their commitment to continue intensive consultations and coordination in this regard, to monitor developments and assess emerging issues in a manner that ensures the formulation of common positions and the adoption of necessary legitimate measures and procedures to protect their security, stability and sovereignty, and to halt Iranian heinous attacks on their territory,” the joint statement read.
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Qatar Energy facilities in Ras Laffan Industrial City on March 3, 2026, after the company halted LNG production at the Ras Laffan and Mesaieed sites following reported Iranian attacks. (Stringer/Getty)
It comes a day after Israel struck Iran’s South Pars gas field, prompting Iranian retaliatory attacks on energy infrastructure in Qatar and Saudi Arabia, including Doha’s Ras Laffan Industrial City, the world’s largest LNG production facility.
Oil prices rose on Thursday morning after the strikes, with Brent crude rising to $114.08 per barrel and US benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude rising to $97.41.
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Gasoline prices are shown at a station in Brooklyn, New York City on March 18, 2026, as global fuel costs rise due to disruptions related to the conflict in Iran and shipping restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz. (Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images)
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President Donald Trump said on his Truth Social platform that Israel would halt further attacks on Iran’s South Pars gas field unless Tehran escalates, warning that the United States could respond with overwhelming force if Qatar’s LNG facilities were targeted again.
“The United States of America, with or without the help or consent of Israel, will massively blow up the entire South Pars gas field with an amount of force and power that Iran has never seen or witnessed before,” Trump wrote. “I do not want to allow this level of violence and destruction because of the long-term consequences it will have for Iran’s future, but if Qatar’s LNG is attacked again, I will not hesitate to do so.”
