Arab States’ Condemnation Of Israeli Strikes On Iran Reflect Deep Concerns Over Escalation

PARIS, October 26, 2024 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) – A host of Arab states have condemned Israel’s strikes on Iran in a sign of concerns over further region escalation.

Without mentioning Israel by name, the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) foreign ministry “expressed deep concern” over the continued escalation.

Saudi Arabia, a regional powerhouse and a historic foe of Iran, also did not mention Israel but condemned the “military targeting” of Iran as a “violation of its sovereignty” and contravention of international law, according to the state – run Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

Qatar and Kuwait separately condemned the Israeli strikes and Egypt expressed deep concern over regional escalation.

DIPLOMACY AT WORK

US – allied Gulf Arab states like Saudi Arabia and the UAE, two of the world’s top oil producers, have in recent years steered their foreign policies away from conflict to serve their foreign policies away from conflict to serve their economic interests. This have seen them repair ties with dormer adversaries like Iran.

“After more than a year of military confrontations and (their) unfortunate humanitarian and political repercussions, the region needs a different path that favors diplomatic work and political solutions, and pushes towards reducing escalation and confrontations in favor of communication and dialogue channels”, the UAE’s presidential diplomatic adviser, Anwar Gargash, said on X Saturday.

Countries across the Middle East who historically viewed Iran as their primary regional adversary opted to engage the Islamic Republic in intensive diplomacy ahead of the Israeli strikes.

Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi traveled across the Middle East over the past month for meetings with regional leaders. Days before the Israeli strike, Aragchi claimed that he received assurances from several countries that their airspaces would not be used by Israel for the strike.