Foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have called for a return to dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the ongoing crisis between the United States and Iran, while urging the restoration of freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

The appeal came in the final communiqué issued after the 168th Ministerial Council meeting of the GCC, held in the Bahraini capital, Manama, under the chairmanship of Bahrain's Foreign Minister Dr Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, with the participation of the foreign ministers of the six member states and GCC Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi.

The ministers stressed that dialogue and diplomacy remain the only viable path to overcoming the current crisis, safeguarding regional security and stability, and protecting the prosperity of the region's peoples.

GCC seeks role in regional negotiations

The statement reaffirmed the importance of respecting the sovereignty of states and refraining from interference in their internal affairs.

It also emphasized that the GCC states should be included in any negotiations or arrangements affecting their security and strategic interests.

The council reiterated its support for diplomatic efforts aimed at preventing further escalation and achieving a political settlement to regional tensions.

Call to restore navigation in the Strait of Hormuz

The ministers called for restoring conditions in the Strait of Hormuz to those that existed before February 28, 2026, urging the immediate restoration of safe and unrestricted navigation in accordance with international law while respecting the sovereign rights of the states bordering the waterway.

The statement also highlighted the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz, Bab al-Mandeb and the Red Sea for global trade and energy supplies.

It warned against closing strategic waterways, disrupting freedom of navigation, targeting commercial vessels and their crews, laying naval mines, or imposing unlawful fees or restrictions on maritime transit.

The council also rejected any attempt to make the right of transit passage subject to prior authorization or mandatory shipping routes, describing such measures as inconsistent with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and customary international law.

Regional bloc established in 1981

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) was established on 25 May 1981 in Abu Dhabi to promote political, economic, security and defence cooperation among the six Arab Gulf states: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Headquartered in Riyadh, the organization has become the principal framework for regional coordination among its members, regularly holding summits and ministerial meetings to coordinate policies on security, trade, energy, defence and regional diplomacy. In recent years, the GCC has also played an increasingly active role in mediation efforts and regional crisis management.(ILKHA)