Brussels, July 19 (QNA) - The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the European Union have condemned the Iranian attacks on some countries of the region and vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, stressing the importance of ensuring freedom of navigation in this international waterway.

In a joint statement marking the convention of the High-Level Forum on Regional Security and Cooperation in Brussels recently, the two sides reaffirmed that freedom of navigation, including the right to traverse this Strait as an international passageway, is protected under international law.

Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), ships of all states enjoy these rights, which may not be suspended, obstructed, or subjected to any conditions by any state, the statement stressed.

In addition, the statement vigorously condemned the attacks Iran waged against commercial vessels transiting the Strait and the sovereign territories of the region's nations, including the State of Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Jordan.

These assaults endangered the lives of civilians and sailors and ran afoul of international law and UN Security Council Resolution 2817, the statement underscored, adding that these actions are utterly unwarranted.

Any claims of sovereignty or control over the Strait by any country are unacceptable, the two sides asserted, considering them illegitimate. They further opposed the imposition of any system of clearances, transit tolls, or exchanges of services for international traffic.

Both sides affirmed that no bilateral arrangement or memorandum of understanding between states may unlawfully regulate or restrict the right of passage through an international strait, a right guaranteed under international law to all states, and that it may not be subjected to the control or authorization of any state.

The two blocs reemphasized their full solidarity with the countries affected by these attacks, along with sailors from all nationalities who were exposed to danger, confirming that any attack on the security of one of the nations is a source of concern for parties that count on the safety of this critical waterway.

  As such, the statement called on Iran to immediately and unconditionally cease all attacks and any kind of intervention in maritime navigation and maintain the Strait of Hormuz constantly open without conditions, transit, or service fees, in addition to thoroughly complying with international law and Resolution 2817.

The statement also reaffirmed that imposing any unilateral or unlawful mechanism or arrangement that affects the safety of passage through the strait is a non-starter.

It stressed that what matters most is for states to operate within the framework of relevant international and regional institutions responsible for the governance, safety, and security of maritime navigation and to support them, particularly the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

Both the EU and GCC pointed out that they intend to forge close coordination to protect freedom of navigation, commercial shipping, and sailors, and beef up enduring and just peace and security in the region in alignment with international law and the UN Charter.

They likewise called for restraint and reemphasized their iron-clad commitment to diplomacy as the off-ramp for crisis resolution and ensuring freedom of traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. (QNA)