CAIRO/ABU DHABI, July 8 (Xinhua) -- The Arab League and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Wednesday strongly condemned alleged Iranian attacks targeting Gulf states and commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, warning that the escalation threatens regional security and ongoing de-escalation efforts.
Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy, in a statement, warned that the attacks targeting the interests of Gulf states risk undermining ongoing de-escalation efforts and dragging the region back into open confrontation.
He reaffirmed the Arab League's full solidarity with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and all Gulf Arab states, stressing that the security of the Gulf is an integral part of Arab national security.
In a statement carried by the Emirates News Agency, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned what it described as an Iranian attack on a Saudi oil tanker while it was transiting the Strait of Hormuz, calling it a dangerous escalation that threatens international navigation and regional stability.
The statements came as the United States and Iran exchanged fresh attacks from Tuesday night to Wednesday, marking a new round of escalation.
The United States has launched strikes against 80 Iranian targets allegedly in response to Iranian attacks on commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Later, Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps attacked 85 U.S. military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait. ■
