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The Human Rights Council has adopted by consensus a UN resolution on the implications of Iranian attacks against Gulf countries and Jordan.
The resolution, co-sponsored by more than 100 states, condemned the attacks against the UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Jordan. The UAE's Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the resolution as "historic".
The resolution strongly condemns the attacks involving missiles and drones as clear breaches of international law and a serious threat to international peace and security. It also condemns breaches related to attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, including airports, ports, energy facilities, desalination plants and residential areas, and stresses that the states attacked are not party to the conflict.
The resolution also emphasises the rejection of any acts or threats aimed at closing, obstructing, or interfering with international navigation, including in the Strait of Hormuz and Bab Al Mandab strait, considering such actions to be a direct threat to regional and international security and stability.
It highlights the broader implications of the escalation for international trade, energy security and global supply chains, including its effect on human rights.
The resolution also affirms support for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of the affected states. It recognises their inherent right to self-defence in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter.
It calls on Iran to "immediately and unconditionally cease all attacks, threats and provocations, and to fully comply with its obligations under international law".
It also calls on Iran to provide "full, effective and prompt reparations to all victims for the damages and losses resulting from these attacks".
The adoption of the resolution followed the request of Gulf states and Jordan to convene an urgent debate on Wednesday at the Human Rights Council in Geneva. During the session, the UAE forcefully rejected what it described as Iran’s “justifications” for the barrage of missiles and drones fired at the Emirates since the start of the war.
Addressing the council, Jamal Al Musharakh, the UAE’s permanent representative at the UN in Geneva, called Iran's actions a "pattern of reckless and systematic conduct that undermines the foundations of the international order".
Since Israel and the US launched strikes on Iran on February 28, Tehran has retaliated by attacking countries in the region.
While Iranian officials have repeatedly maintained that their campaign is aimed at US interests and military bases, the scale and pattern of strikes, which have hit energy sites, airports and economic infrastructure across the Gulf, belie that assertion. At least 27 people have been killed across the region, tallies from Gulf defence and interior ministries have shown.
The UAE has been the Gulf state attacked most frequently, with Iran firing more than 2,100 missiles and drones at the country, the UAE Defence Ministry said.
During the debate, the UN's human rights chief Volker Turk warned that the Middle East conflict was “spreading and intensifying”, with civilians bearing the brunt. “The situation is extremely dangerous and unpredictable, and has created chaos across the region, affecting Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan and beyond,” he added.
