‘Grave concern’ of Middle East and African states at escalation

A group of 21 countries mainly from the Middle East and Africa have expressed “grave concern” at the Israel-Iran conflict, saying it risks “serious repercussions for the security and stability of the entire region”. The countries, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Qatar, said they “reject and condemn” the Israeli attacks on Iran that began at dawn on Friday. They called for disputes to be settled by peaceful means. They expressed the “necessity of returning to the negotiating track as soon as possible, as this is the only way to reach a sustainable agreement on the Iranian nuclear programme”.