{"id":34794,"date":"2026-03-20T02:36:39","date_gmt":"2026-03-20T00:36:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/?p=34794"},"modified":"2026-03-21T07:43:45","modified_gmt":"2026-03-21T05:43:45","slug":"arab-and-muslim-ministers-meet-in-saudi-arabia-call-on-iran-to-stop-attacks-amid-escalation-in-gulf","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/arab-and-muslim-ministers-meet-in-saudi-arabia-call-on-iran-to-stop-attacks-amid-escalation-in-gulf\/","title":{"rendered":"Arab and Muslim ministers meet in Saudi Arabia, call on Iran to stop attacks amid escalation in Gulf"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

4 minute read<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arab and Muslim foreign ministers have met in Saudi Arabia for urgent talks on the escalating war with Iran, as missile and drone strikes across the Gulf deepen fears of a wider regional conflict.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The meeting came as Iran targeted energy infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar, in retaliation for an Israeli strike on Iran\u2019s South Pars gas field, the country\u2019s largest source of natural gas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The escalation followed a series of Israeli attacks that also killed senior Iranian security figures, including Ali Larijani, Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani, and intelligence chief Esmail Khatib.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conflict, now entering its fourth week, has already disrupted regional energy supplies, raised tensions across multiple countries, and triggered fears of global economic shock due to threats against key shipping routes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Foreign ministers from Qatar, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkiye, and the United Arab Emirates attended the meeting, according to a joint statement released after the talks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All participating countries have been directly or indirectly affected by the conflict. Some have faced missile or drone threats, others are dealing with falling debris risks, energy disruptions, or concerns over possible refugee flows if the war expands further.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lebanon remains one of the most heavily impacted countries, with ongoing cross-border fighting involving Hezbollah and Israeli strikes that have killed hundreds of people in recent weeks, along with a ground operation in southern Lebanon.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Smoke<\/a>
Smoke billows after reported strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs, following an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, as seen from Baabda, Lebanon. (Image Credit: Reuters\/Mohamed Azakir)<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The ministers agreed on a unified position emphasizing \u201cthe right of states to defend themselves,\u201d citing Article 51 of the United Nations Charter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Joint Agreement<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

They jointly condemned what they described as \u201cdeliberate Iranian attacks\u201d using ballistic missiles and drones, which they said had hit residential areas, oil facilities, airports, desalination plants, and diplomatic sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The statement also called on Iran to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n