ISTANBUL: The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Sunday strongly condemned Israeli attacks on Iran and called for an immediate end to the “aggression”, stressing the urgent need for de-escalation to safeguard regional peace and stability.
In a joint declaration after a meeting of the 57-member group’s foreign ministers in Istanbul, the OIC condemned “the aggression of Israel” against Iran, stressing “the urgent need to stop Israeli attacks and their great concern regarding this dangerous escalation”.
The statement said that the OIC would set up a ministerial contact group to establish regular contact with international and regional parties to support de-escalation efforts after US and Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
It called on the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to “unequivocally condemn those attacks and to report those attacks to the Security Council,” adding the “barbaric attacks” violated international law, according to a draft of the resolution.
The OIC also called on Israel to “join without delay the treaty of Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and place all its nuclear facilities and activities under comprehensive IAEA safeguards.”
It reaffirmed Iran’s “inherent right to self-defence and to take all necessary measures to fully protect its sovereignty and citizens, and to prevent the recurrence of such criminal acts against its territory in the future,” according to the statement.
In a separate statement, the OIC also voiced alarm over the US air strikes on Iran, calling them a “dangerous escalation that could further heighten tensions and threaten peace, security, and stability in the region”.
It also urged the international community to take effective deterrent measures against attacks on Iran and to hold Israel accountable for the crimes it has committed.
Representatives from over 40 member states attended the session, including Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
During the session, Turkiye formally assumed the OIC chairmanship for the next three years.
