The Gulf Cooperation Council accuses Iran of war crimes after strikes on civilians

The Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council on Saturday condemned Iranian attacks on civilian infrastructure in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan as "war crimes." Iran, which has retaliated against US airstrikes for the seventh consecutive night, is threatening to launch a "full-scale offensive."

Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), condemned in a statement the Iranian attacks against civilian sites in three member or partner countries. "Iran's actions represent an extremely dangerous escalation, a serious violation of international law and the UN Charter, as well as war crimes, given the deliberate targeting of civilian infrastructure and facilities," he said.

In Kuwait, Iranian airstrikes hit two power plants and water desalination facilities within 24 hours. The Kuwait Petroleum Corporation reported significant material damage and several injuries after one of its oil facilities was struck by what it described as "repeated Iranian attacks." Fires broke out at two separate sites across the country, injuring several firefighters. Kuwaiti airspace was closed, forcing Kuwait Airways to reschedule most of its flights.

In Bahrain, air defenses intercepted and destroyed "several Iranian air attacks" Saturday morning, according to the Bahraini military. An AFP journalist in Manama heard several explosions after air raid sirens sounded four times since dawn. More sirens sounded across the kingdom in the late afternoon.

Jordan, for its part, announced that it had shot down ten Iranian missiles targeting its territory. "The interception and destruction operation resulted in no casualties or material damage," a Jordanian military official stated.

These Iranian retaliatory strikes follow the seventh consecutive night of US airstrikes on Iran. The US Central Command (Centcom) stated that it targeted "surveillance sites, military logistics infrastructure, underground weapons depots, and maritime assets." Authorities in Hormozgan province, in the south of the country, reported at least three deaths and eight injuries.

In the Strait of Hormuz, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed that two oil tankers "exploded and caught fire" while passing through a mined area, and that four other ships were "stopped" by missiles and drones. Washington denied these claims. Tehran also claimed responsibility for attacks on two oil tankers in the strait.

Mohsen Rezaei, military advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader, warned that Iran would enter "a phase of total offensive" if US airstrikes continued beyond "two or three days." "No border will be safe," he added, as quoted by Iranian state television.

On the Lebanese front, the pro-Iranian Hezbollah held a mass funeral for some 40 fighters killed in its conflict with Israel, in a village in southern Lebanon near an area occupied by Israeli forces. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun left Beirut for Washington, where he is scheduled to meet with Donald Trump on July 21, notably to discuss the Israeli withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territories and the consolidation of the ceasefire.