UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan on Friday called for an immediate end to military provocations in the Gulf and renewed regional diplomacy as the United States, Iran and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries exchanged sharply conflicting accusations at a UN Security Council meeting on attacks against shipping and threats to maritime security.
The debate highlighted growing concerns that the confrontation could disrupt international trade, energy supplies and food shipments while increasing the risk of a wider regional conflict.
Addressing the Council, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative, Ambassador Syed Haider Shahcondemned attacks against Gulf countries and called for respect for their sovereignty and territorial integrity, protection of civilians and commercial shipping, and restoration of normal maritime traffic.
He specifically condemned Houthi militia attacks and threats against Saudi Arabia, including strikes targeting civilian infrastructure and vessels engaged in lawful trade. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for the kingdom’s sovereignty, security and territorial integrity.
Highlighting the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandab Strait, Ambassador Shah warned that threats to maritime navigation endangered seafarers, disrupted international commerce and worsened energy and food insecurity, particularly in vulnerable economies.
He called for the protection of commercial vessels and their crews, respect for freedom of navigation and safe, unimpeded delivery of humanitarian supplies.
Lasting peace, he said, required addressing the underlying causes of regional conflicts through a framework based on common security, peaceful coexistence and mutual prosperity. He urged all parties to end attacks, maintain communication channels and support diplomatic initiatives, including the UN secretary-general’s good offices.
The United States and Iran offered sharply contrasting accounts of the crisis, each blaming the other for the growing threats to maritime security.
Iranian Ambassador Gholamhossein Darzi accused Western members of the Council of ignoring the origins of the confrontation and attempting to reverse the roles of aggressor and victim.
He identified what he described as unprovoked wars launched by the United States and Israel on June 13, 2025, and February 28, 2026as the root causes of the current insecurity.
Recalling the attacks on Iran, he said they violated international law and targeted the country’s supreme leader, government officials, nuclear scientists and civilian infrastructure. He put the Iranian death toll at 5,000, including 254 children, and described the attacks as war crimes and crimes against humanity.
“The insecurity surrounding the Strait of Hormuz is a direct consequence of these acts,” Ambassador Darzi said.
While insisting that Iran remained committed to peace in the Persian Gulf, he argued that the presence of foreign military forces was itself a major source of instability and a threat to maritime safety.
He rejected Security Council Resolution 2817 (2026), calling it politically motivated and accusing it of ignoring the origins of the crisis, denying Iran’s right to self-defence and failing to identify those responsible for the aggression.
Tehran had not closed the door to diplomacy, he said, but Washington must end its military actions, provide credible guarantees against their repetition and lift what he called unlawful coercive measures against Iran.
The US representative, Ambassador Jennifer Locetta, presented a sharply different picture, accusing Iran of aggression against its neighbours and threats to international shipping.
“The regime attacks its neighbors, fires on commercial ships, arms terrorist proxies, and defies this Council at every turn,” she said.
Iranian missiles, drones and what she described as unlawful mines in the Strait of Hormuz, along with attacks in the Bab el-Mandab Strait, threatened global energy and food security.
Citing Security Council Resolution 2817which demanded that Iran stop attacks on shipping and neighbouring states and had attracted 136 co-sponsors, she said Tehran was defying the international community.
“Iran ignores this Council. It ignores the overwhelming opinion of the international community,” she said.
Ambassador Locetta also accused the Houthis of attacking Saudi airports and energy installations with Iranian backing and imposing an illegal, self-declared embargo on maritime traffic through the Bab el-Mandab Strait.
She said the group’s actions violated Security Council resolutions, including Resolution 2216 (2015), and urged Council members to hold Iran accountable.
The GCC presented its own account of the attacks against its member states. Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi said Gulf countries had faced more than 7,000 Iranian missiles and drones since February 28, targeting airports, ports, oil and gas facilities, power stations, water desalination plants and residential neighbourhoods.
The attacks had caused deaths and injuries, extensive damage to property and infrastructure, and serious environmental repercussions in the Arabian Gulf, he said.
Describing the strikes as flagrant violations of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of GCC members, Mr Albudaiwi said they threatened international peace and security and required Security Council action to ensure they stopped and were not repeated.
Earlier, speaking on behalf of the GCC, Bahrain’s Ambassador Jamal Fares Alrowaiei welcomed mediation efforts by Oman, Qatar and Pakistan and reaffirmed the bloc’s commitment to diplomacy and de-escalation.
“The security of the GCC States is indivisible,” he said, insisting that Gulf countries must participate in any negotiations concerning regional security.
The competing positions underscored the difficulty of securing a diplomatic settlement, despite growing concern over the wider consequences of continued attacks and restrictions on shipping.
The debate centred on restoring freedom of navigation, ending attacks on commercial vessels and civilian infrastructure, protecting seafarers and ensuring humanitarian access. Speakers also stressed the need for mediation, including efforts to facilitate US-Iran talks, and a negotiated settlement of broader regional and nuclear-related disputes.
Pakistan reiterated its commitment to working with Gulf countries and international partners to promote de-escalation, maritime security and lasting regional peace and stability.
Source: www.dawn.com
