(WASHINGTON, DC) – The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) foreign ministers fully backed Saudi ‎Arabia’s actions to fight terrorism and bringing to justice those who commit or sponsor acts of ‎terrorism in a statement issued today after an extraordinary meeting of the GCC Ministerial ‎Council.‎

The meeting was held in Riyadh under the chairmanship of Saudi Foreign Minister Adel bin ‎Ahmed Al-Jubeir. ‎

The council discussed at length the repercussions of the attacks on the Saudi embassy in Tehran ‎and consulate in Mashhad. The ministers condemned the attacks in strong terms, holding the ‎Iranian authorities fully responsible for these acts in accordance with its commitments under the ‎‎1961 and 1963 Vienna Conventions and other articles of the international law, which hold host ‎countries responsible for protecting diplomatic missions.‎

The council also condemned Iran’s blatant interferences in the internal affairs of Saudi Arabia, ‎particularly the Iranian government’s hostile and provocative statements on the sentences carried ‎out by Saudi Arabia against a number of persons convicted by Saudi courts of terrorism. These ‎statements were a direct incitement for launching the attacks on the diplomatic missions of Saudi ‎Arabia.‎

The council stressed that such acts do not serve peace and security in the region and the world; ‎are contrary to the principles of good neighborliness, non-interference in the internal affairs of ‎states, and respect for national sovereignty; and only serve to complicate the situation and ignite ‎more crises in the region.‎

The council stressed that GCC countries support the decisions and measures taken by the ‎Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to fight terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and to find ‎perpetrators of terrorist acts and instigators of sedition and bring them to justice.‎

The GCC foreign ministers praised the efficiency, independence and integrity of the judiciary ‎system in Saudi Arabia. ‎

The council expressed its full support for the measures taken by Saudi Arabia to respond to the ‎attacks on its diplomatic missions in Iran, stressing that the GCC countries will take further ‎appropriate measures. The council welcomed the categorical rejection of these attacks expressed ‎by Arab, Islamic and friendly countries and the UN Security Council, calling on all States and ‎the international community to take serious and effective steps to prevent such attacks on ‎diplomatic missions in Iran.‎

The council condemned Iran's continued occupation of three islands that are the territory of the ‎United Arab Emirates, fomenting of sectarian strife, support for terrorist organizations, and ‎incitement to undermine security and stability in the GCC countries. The council agreed to ‎establish an effective mechanism to address the Iranian interference.‎

The council urged the international community to take necessary measures to compel Iran to ‎respect the principle of good neighborliness, to stop its destabilizing activities in the region, to ‎stop its support for terrorism, to cease interfering in the internal affairs of the GCC countries and ‎other countries in the region, and to end the use of force or threat of force.‎