UN showdown looms as Gulf accuses Iran of attacks, Tehran hits back

GENEVA – Gulf states have requested an urgent debate at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva over Iran's strikes on civilians and energy infrastructure across the Middle East, according to documents seen by Reuters, in a move that underscores a rapidly escalating diplomatic confrontation between the two sides.

A diplomatic note sent by the Gulf states describes the ballistic missile and drone strikes on Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as a “situation of serious concern for international peace and security”, with severe human rights implications.

The request comes as the expanding US-Israeli war on Iran enters its third week, triggering large-scale Iranian retaliation in the form of drone and missile strikes on energy and civilian infrastructure in Gulf countries.

Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz and attacks on energy facilities across the region have spiked energy prices and fuelled fears of rising global inflation, adding economic urgency to the diplomatic crisis.

The diplomatic note said the “unprovoked attacks” on Gulf countries, despite their assurances to Tehran that their territories would not host launches against Iran, demanded immediate international attention.

A draft resolution proposed by the Gulf states strongly condemns the strikes and calls on Iran to immediately halt attacks on civilian infrastructure and commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. It also seeks reparations for civilian, infrastructure and environmental damage caused by the strikes.

The Human Rights Council has received the request and is considering a date to hold the debate, according to a letter from its president, Sidharto Reza Suryodipuro.

In a parallel move that highlights the deepening dispute, Iran has sought compensation from the United Arab Emirates, accusing it of enabling US attacks on Iranian territory.

In a letter to United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Iran’s UN ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani said the UAE’s decision to allow its territory to be used for the strikes constituted “an internationally wrongful act that entailed state responsibility”, according to a report by Nournews.

Tehran said the UAE bore international responsibility to provide reparation, including compensation for all material and moral damages incurred.

The exchange of accusations reflects a widening Gulf-Iran showdown at the United Nations, where legal, political and economic pressures are converging alongside an intensifying military conflict across the region.