Arab States Condemn Iran's Attacks on Allies in Middle East

Dubai/ILLUSTRATIONS UNSPLASH/Zaid Ahmad

JAKARTA - A number of Arab countries have launched a harsh criticism of Iran's massive attack targeting US allies in the Middle East, following the escalation of deadly attacks by the Trump administration against Iran for seven consecutive days this week.

The Iranian military launched attacks on several countries from Thursday night to Friday morning, including Oman, Jordan, Kuwait, and Qatar - where a child was injured by shrapnel that fell after an attack was intercepted.

In Iraq, Iranian missile and drone attacks killed nine members of an Iranian-Kurdish group, according to a statement from the group.

Leaders in the region have issued harsh condemnations and renewed calls for diplomacy - though neither US nor Iranian officials have shown signs of softening their stance.

The following are some statements calling for diplomacy as reviewed by CNN, Saturday, July 18:

Qatar: The Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs - whose officials served as the main mediators in the talks between Tehran and Washington earlier this year - urged a return to serious dialogue and negotiations and an agreement reached through diplomatic efforts.

UAE: The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates strongly condemned Iran's attacks in Iraq, warning that the attacks were a clear violation of the sovereignty of the Republic of Iraq and the Iraqi Kurdistan region.

Jordan: The Jordanian Foreign Minister condemned the "brutal Iranian attack" as a blatant violation of international law and warned of a dangerous escalation in the wider region.

Kuwait: The Kuwaiti Foreign Minister expressed strong condemnation of Iran's recent reprehensible aggression against Bahrain, Qatar, and Jordan, and called the attacks a direct threat to the security of their people.