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AMMAN — Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on Friday chaired an extraordinary session of the Arab League Council at the ministerial level, held in Istanbul to discuss the repercussions of Israeli aggression against Iran and its impact on regional security and stability.
Convened at Iraq’s request, the meeting took place on the eve of the 51st session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers.
In a statement issued following the meeting, the Arab League condemned Israel’s attack on Iran, describing it as a "flagrant" violation of the sovereignty of a UN member state and a threat to regional peace. The ministers called for an immediate halt to the aggression and urged intensified regional and international efforts to de-escalate tensions and achieve a ceasefire.
The council also called for negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme to resume and expressed support for all initiatives aimed at easing tensions. They urged the international community, particularly the UN Security Council, to take responsibility for stopping Israel’s actions, which they said breach international law and endanger regional security.
The ministers reaffirmed that diplomacy and dialogue, in line with international law and the UN Charter, are the only viable ways to resolve the regional crises. They stressed that the current situation cannot be resolved through military means.
The statement also linked regional stability to addressing the root causes of conflict, including bringing the war against Gaza to an end, ensuring unimpeded humanitarian aid and stopping Israeli violations in the occupied West Bank that undermine the two-state solution.
The council warned that Israel’s actions risk pushing the region into deeper conflict and called for effective international action to stop Israeli aggression and achieve a just, comprehensive peace based on UN resolutions and the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative.
The ministers welcomed the planned high-level international conference on the peaceful settlement of the Palestinian issue, which is to be co-hosted by Saudi Arabia and France at the UN General Assembly, and called for broad participation in the event.
They also endorsed Egypt’s proposal to organise a conference to support Gaza’s rapid recovery and reconstruction once a ceasefire has been established.
The council emphasised the importance of safeguarding freedom of navigation in international waters, respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states, and refraining from targeting nuclear facilities under IAEA safeguards.
In line with international and Arab summit decisions, it reiterated the call to establish a Middle East free of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction, and urged all regional states to join the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.