His Majesty King Hamad yesterday participated in the consultative summit of the GCC Supreme Council, held in Jeddah.
The summit was chaired by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
The leaders discussed the latest regional and international developments.
The King later attended a luncheon hosted by Prince Mohammed bin Salman in honour of the GCC leaders.
Earlier, His Majesty and the Bahraini delegation were welcomed by the Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister upon arrival in Jeddah.
GCC Secretary-General Jasem Al Budaiwi said Gulf leaders discussed regional developments and the escalation in the region at the summit in Jeddah, and explored ways to reach a diplomatic solution to end the crisis.
The summit condemned Iran’s attacks, Mr Al Budaiwi said, adding that the strikes have led to a sharp decline in trust between Gulf states and Tehran.
The leaders also discussed paving the way for agreements that address the sources of concern for their countries, he said.
“Gulf leaders affirmed the right of Gulf states to defend themselves individually or collectively, and Iran must take the initiative and make serious efforts to rebuild trust,” Mr Al Budaiwi said.
The leaders affirmed that any attack on a GCC member state would be considered an attack on all Gulf countries, he said.
He added that Gulf states have swiftly restored energy facilities damaged during the war.
Gulf leaders rejected Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz and any obstruction to navigation, Mr Al Budaiwi said, adding that they also opposed imposing any fees on ships transiting the waterway under any circumstances.
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