The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bahrain, Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, warned this Friday before the UN that the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Jordan are going through a security crisis "of a severity not seen in decades," triggered by missile and drone attacks launched by the Houthis in the context of the war initiated by the United States and Israel against Iran last February.
During his speech before the General Assembly, the head of Bahraini diplomacy focused on the direct threat that, in his opinion, Tehran and its allies pose to the stability of the region and to the global economy.
"This is a flagrant violation of international law and the United Nations Charter. These are indiscriminate attacks, with no justification under any law," he declared, explicitly holding the Houthi militia responsible for its recent offensives against Saudi Arabia.
Al Zayani detailed that the states in the area have been the target of nearly 7,000 aggressions perpetrated by forces and militias linked to Iran, which would have included the launch of 1,700 ballistic missiles, 80 cruise missiles, and more than 5,200 drones against civilian infrastructure, ports, airports, and power plants.
"These are flagrant violations of international law and the United Nations Charter. They are indiscriminate attacks with no justification," the minister reiterated, emphasizing that the Iranian offensive and that of its militias and regional partners has resulted in the detention of 2,000 commercial vessels, damage to 72 merchant ships, and the death of at least 22 sailors in the maritime routes of the Gulf.
ATTACK ON FREEDOM OF NAVIGATION
The Foreign Minister condemned the closure of the Strait of Hormuz ordered by the Iranian government, warning that its use as an "instrument of pressure or economic coercion" sets a highly dangerous precedent for international trade.
"Unilaterally, by no state in accordance with them, the Kingdom categorically rejects the imposition of any regime of permits or quotas that is imposed to allow their transit," he stated.
In light of this scenario, Al Zayani warned that such quotas "would set an extremely dangerous precedent because what is accepted" in this matter "could be demanded in the future on any international maritime route upon which global trade depends."
"A maritime route is not merely a security issue that affects only coastal states; it is an artery through which food, medicine, and energy flow for the entire planet. When it is disrupted, the cost is paid by a family in a country that does not even have a coast," he added.
The minister emphasized that the blockade of the strait has an immediate impact on inflation and the increase in maritime transport costs.
In this context, Bahrain has reiterated the right of attacked states to resort to "legitimate defense" and to take the necessary measures to protect their sovereignty and territorial integrity, although it has insisted that the governments of the region continue to act with "maximum prudence."
MULTILATERAL COMMITMENTS AND SUPPORT FOR THE TWO-STATE SOLUTION
In another part of his speech, the Bahraini representative claimed the role of the kingdom in promoting a resolution aimed at ensuring freedom of navigation, recalling that the country hosts the headquarters of the Combined Maritime Forces, a coalition of 47 nations responsible for overseeing security in the waters of the Middle East.
Finally, Bahrain has insisted on the urgency of moving towards a "fair and peaceful" solution to the conflict in Gaza through the creation of an independent Palestinian state contiguous to Israel, and has renewed its request to the international community to agree on a global and binding regulatory framework that governs the safe development of artificial intelligence.