Amid the escalating security challenges in the region, there is an urgent need for the international community to assume its legal and moral responsibilities to curb attacks attributed to Iran against a number of Arab Gulf states, as these acts pose a direct threat to regional peace and security and violate principles of international law based on respect for state sovereignty and non-use of force or threat thereof.

Preserving the international order can only be achieved through a unified international stance that rejects any aggression against sovereign states and affirms the need to adhere to the UN Charter and relevant international resolutions. The protection of international navigation is of exceptional importance, especially in the Strait of Hormuz, which is one of the most strategic maritime corridors in the world, as a large proportion of global energy exports and trade passes through it.

Therefore, ensuring the security of this strait and guaranteeing the freedom of passage for commercial ships and tankers is a collective responsibility, not only for the region's states but for the entire international community, because any threat to this vital corridor negatively impacts the global economy, supply chains, and energy markets, and exacerbates instability in the region.

Moreover, the commitment to ensuring freedom of navigation is a well-established principle of international law, requiring effective international cooperation to prevent any acts that endanger ships or maritime routes. Gulf positions affirm that the ongoing attacks targeting civilian objects and vital installations, threatening the security of citizens and residents as well as the safety of ships and freedom of maritime navigation, constitute a flagrant violation of state sovereignty, a clear breach of international law and the UN Charter, and also contradict UN Security Council Resolution 2817 (2026), which condemned the attacks and called for respect for the sovereignty of regional states and an end to hostilities.

These developments also raise questions about the extent of commitment to the pledges in the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, which included principles on ceasing military operations, respecting state sovereignty, and refraining from the use of force, as a framework aimed at easing tensions and enhancing regional stability. In this context, the position of the Cabinet of the Kingdom of Bahrain emerged, affirming that these aggressions will not undermine the kingdom's resolve or the resilience of the other Arab Gulf states and their peoples, and will not deter them from continuing to defend their security and stability, while stressing that Bahrain, like other Gulf states, retains its legitimate right to defend its sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity in accordance with international law and the UN Charter, in addition to its full solidarity with sister states and support for all measures they take to protect their citizens and residents on their territories and enhance the region's security and stability.

In conclusion, maintaining regional and international security requires a firm stance from the international community, based on the non-selective application of international law and accountability for anyone who violates state sovereignty or threatens the security of international navigation. Moreover, enhancing cooperation among states, supporting diplomatic efforts, and protecting vital maritime corridors are all essential pillars for ensuring the region's stability, preserving global economic interests, and consolidating the principles of security and peace that form the foundation of the contemporary international order.

O God, preserve our Gulf safe and secure.

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- Kuwaiti writer

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