New York, September 26 (QNA) - Bahraini Foreign Minister Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani said the Gulf region is facing a security situation unprecedented in decades, stressing Bahrain's continued commitment to its international obligations, international law, freedom of navigation, and a just, comprehensive and lasting peace.

Addressing the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York, Al Zayani said Bahrain remains committed to upholding its international commitments and believes that the security and prosperity of the region and its peoples are a shared responsibility that can only be safeguarded through concerted efforts.

He said GCC states and Jordan had been subjected to waves of what he described as unjustified Iranian attacks involving ballistic missiles and drones targeting civilian facilities, residential areas, ports, airports and energy infrastructure. He described the attacks as flagrant violations of international law and the UN Charter, stressing that indiscriminate attacks that fail to distinguish between military and civilian targets have no legal justification.

Addressing the repercussions of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Al Zayani stressed that the strait is an international maritime passage through which vessels of all states have a right of transit under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. He rejected any attempt by a single state to suspend or obstruct that right, impose permits or fees for passage, or use international waterways as a means of political pressure, economic coercion or seizure of vessels, warning that such practices would set a dangerous precedent for the world's international waterways and global trade.

Al Zayani said Bahrain had not confined itself to expressing its principled position on the situation, but had taken action on behalf of the GCC states and Jordan, in light of its current presidency of the GCC and non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council. He said Bahrain had spearheaded the adoption of Security Council Resolution 2817, which condemned the attacks, reaffirmed the sovereignty of the affected states and rejected any measures aimed at closing the strait or obstructing navigation.

He added that Bahrain had submitted a draft resolution under Chapter VII of the UN Charter on protecting commercial navigation, stressing the need for full implementation of UN resolutions, accountability for those responsible for violations, and compensation for damages in accordance with international law. (QNA)