The Sultanate of Oman on Sunday participated in the extraordinary ministerial session of the Council of the Arab League, convened via videoconference to address escalating regional developments in the wake of the ongoing Israeli-American military campaign against the Islamic Republic of Iran, and its grave implications for regional security and stability.
Sayyid Badr bin Hamad al Busaidy, Foreign Minister, headed the Sultanate of Oman's delegation and delivered a comprehensive address articulating Oman's principled position on the escalating crisis.
In his statement, the minister affirmed that the region stands at a perilous crossroads as military operations escalate and the logic of force increasingly supplants the language of dialogue and peace. He underscored the profound political, economic and security repercussions of this unlawful war, which collectively threaten regional stability and endanger the safety of its populations.
He observed that the Israeli-American attacks against the Islamic Republic of Iran were launched at a critical juncture when negotiations were demonstrating tangible progress along the diplomatic path towards a just and honourable resolution.
The minister further noted that the Iranian response, which included strikes against sites in several regional states, constitutes an unacceptable infringement upon the sovereignty of these nations. He affirmed that the populations of Arab and Islamic states deserve to live in security and peace and must not be drawn into a war that is not theirs, reiterating the Sultanate of Oman's full solidarity with sisterly countries in the measures they undertake to defend their sovereignty and territorial integrity.
He emphasised that rhetoric and confining responses to formal statements of denunciation and condemnation remain fundamentally insufficient to address the deepening crisis or halt the advance of war. He affirmed that the most effective path lies in unwavering adherence to principle, action animated by a spirit of shared responsibility to protect the region's supreme interests through intensified political and diplomatic engagement, and the exercise of sustained pressure.
He called for an immediate return to dialogue and diplomacy to address the root causes of the conflict, stressing the imperative of expressing the language of truth and anchoring Arab positions in universal human values and principles when confronting injustice and aggression, regardless of its source — even when emanating from a friendly or allied party.
The minister highlighted the critical importance of building upon recent statements by the Iranian President regarding de-escalation with neighbouring states and his proposal for immediate negotiations to conclude a binding non-aggression agreement among regional states, thereby contributing to sparing the region from being drawn further into the vortex of conflict.
He stressed the necessity of utilising all available diplomatic channels to persuade the United States and Israel that addressing international concerns pertaining to Iran can only be achieved through dialogue and diplomacy. He issued a stark warning that the continuation of hostilities would carry grave and far-reaching implications for regional security and stability, in addition to its deleterious impacts on maritime navigation, global supply lines and the global economy.
Sayyid Badr concluded by reaffirming that priority must be concentrated on intensifying diplomatic and political efforts to secure a peaceful resolution addressing the root causes of this conflict, in a manner that preserves regional security and stability and spares its populations the devastating ravages of war.
HARMFUL EFFECTS
Earlier, Sayyid Badr held a meeting with several ambassadors of Arab countries in the Sultanate of Oman.
These meetings are a continuation of the discussions conducted by the foreign minister over the past few days to review regional developments in light of the Israeli-US war on Iran, and its harmful effects on the interests of all countries in the region.
During the meeting, the foreign minister explained the Sultanate of Oman’s perspective, which calls for the necessity of joint Arab action and the exercise of political and diplomatic pressure to stop this war and contain its repercussions. He emphasised that these efforts are vital for safeguarding the supreme interests of the region and the safety of its peoples.
The meeting was attended by Shaikh Abdulaziz bin Abdullah al Hinai, Ambassador-at-Large at the Foreign Ministry; Shaikh Khalifa bin Ali al Harthy, Under-Secretary of the Foreign Ministry for Political Affairs; and Shaikh Faisal bin Omar al Marhoon, Head of the Arab Department at the Foreign Ministry. - ONA
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