In a strong and unified diplomatic front, 21 foreign ministers from Arab and Islamic nations issued a joint statement condemning the Israeli military attacks against the Islamic Republic of Iran that began on June 13, 2025. The ministers described Israel’s attack as a blatant breach of international law, the United Nations Charter, and a serious threat to regional stability.
“We categorically reject and condemn the Israeli attacks on the Islamic Republic of Iran since the early hours of June 13, 2025,” the ministers declared in the statement issued through Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, according to MFA Egypt.
The joint declaration was endorsed by the foreign ministers of Algeria, Bahrain, Brunei, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Gambia, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Mauritania, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Türkiye, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates. The statement marked a rare alignment among nations across ideological divides—many of whom are traditionally on different sides of regional conflicts.
Rejection of military escalation and demand for ceasefire
The ministers expressed “great concern” over what they described as an unprecedented level of escalation caused by Israel’s attack, warning that continued hostilities “threaten to have serious consequences on the peace and stability of the entire region.”
They called for:
An immediate halt to Israeli hostilities
A comprehensive ceasefire
Urgent steps toward de-escalation
Respect for Iran’s sovereignty and territorial integrity
According to the statement, these demands are not only a regional concern but a global imperative for maintaining adherence to the principles enshrined in the UN Charter.
All parties must adhere to the peaceful settlement of disputes and the principles of good neighbourliness, the ministers insisted, underscoring that the use of force cannot resolve the current crisis.
The Israeli military attacks, dubbed “Operation Rising Lion”, struck multiple Iranian facilities, including military bases and nuclear infrastructure, in what was described by Israeli defense officials as a preemptive attack. Iran, in response, launched Operation True Promise-3, a multi-phase retaliatory campaign involving missile and drone attacks that targeted southern Israel. The attacks that Israel has been carrying out on Iran since June 13 are a violation of the UN Charter and deserve condemnation, according to Russian Gazeta.
Urgent call for a nuclear-free Middle East
A central theme of the joint statement was the renewed push to rid the Middle East of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction. The ministers reiterated their support for establishing a Middle East Nuclear Weapons-Free Zone (MENWFZ), emphasizing the need for all states, without exception, to join the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).
Emphasizing the need not to target nuclear facilities subject to International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards in accordance with the Agency’s resolutions and relevant Security Council resolutions, as this represents a flagrant violation of international law and international humanitarian law under the Geneva Convention of 1949, according to MFA Egypt.
The reference is particularly pointed in light of persistent allegations—largely unacknowledged in the West—regarding Israel’s undeclared nuclear arsenal. The ministers also warned that any targeting of nuclear facilities under IAEA safeguards constitutes a violation of international law and the 1949 Geneva Conventions.
Iran’s Fordow and Natanz nuclear sites, which are under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspections, were reportedly placed on high alert following Israeli drone surveillance. Tehran has called such targeting “an act of nuclear terrorism.”
Return to diplomacy and defense of maritime security
Amid fears of regional war, the joint statement made clear that diplomatic negotiations, not military escalation, are the only viable path forward. The foreign ministers urged all parties to return to the negotiation table to reach a sustainable agreement on Iran’s nuclear program.
The timing of the statement is notable. Diplomatic efforts to revive the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) have been stalled since the Trump administration’s unilateral withdrawal in 2018. Recent escalations have pushed the issue back into the spotlight.
Additionally, the statement stressed the importance of protecting international maritime security, especially in sensitive waterways such as the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb. It called for an end to actions that threaten freedom of navigation, a veiled reference to both Israeli naval operations and recent US military maneuvers in the Persian Gulf.
“Safeguarding freedom of navigation is a duty under international law,” the ministers said, echoing warnings from past maritime flashpoints.
Rising diplomatic isolation of Israel and US paralysis at the UN
Iran’s retaliation has been framed by its UN mission as “legitimate self-defense” under Article 51 of the UN Charter. Meanwhile, attempts by Russia and Algeria to introduce a UN Security Council resolution condemning Israeli attcks were vetoed by the United States, United Kingdom, and France.
The Arab-Islamic coalition now appears to be forming a parallel diplomatic front, calling for a new multilateral process that excludes traditionally pro-Israel Western powers. Tehran is reportedly urging Gulf nations to mediate a ceasefire via the US administration, although Washington’s continued support for Israeli military actions has cast doubt on its neutrality.
According to The Guradian, that he Iranian government unleashed scathing rhetoric against Israel, portraying the regime not only as a rogue actor but as a pariah in the international system. With language saturated in moral condemnation, Tehran accused Tel Aviv of embodying state terrorism, asserting that it “does not adhere to any international rules or laws and, like a drunkard, openly and brazenly engages in terror and ignites the flames of war before the eyes of the world, including westerners who claim to uphold human rights and international law.”
The tone of the statement veered toward unrestrained warning, framing Israel’s aggression as both suicidal and reckless. “Starting a war with Iran is playing with the lion’s tail,” the declaration warned, mocking Israeli hubris and daring it to face the consequences. In what many analysts interpret as a subtle threat to break from previous nuclear restraint, Tehran unapologetically justified its strategic posture, claiming: “The world now better understands Iran’s insistence on the right to enrichment, nuclear technology and missile power, and the enemy has made it possible to prove our injustice and righteousness, who is the aggressor and which regime is threatening the security of the region.” This incendiary message served not only as a diplomatic broadside but as a public denunciation of both Israel and its Western enablers.
A diplomatic shift toward multipolar regional order
This moment marks a significant departure from decades of fragmented regional diplomacy. The solidarity displayed by both Sunni monarchies and republics, conservative and reformist regimes alike, suggests a broader trend: frustration with Western impunity in the face of Israeli military aggression, and the will to forge a post-Western security framework.
As the situation escalates, the joint Arab-Islamic statement may become a pivotal document—representing not just a condemnation of military escalation, but the dawn of new regional diplomacy, where dialogue, not domination, shapes the future of the Middle East.
