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The Gulf Cooperation Council General Secretariat released a statement September 26 in which Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi strongly condemned the Houthi militia’s use of ballistic missiles and drones against Riyadh and Khamis Mushait. Albudaiwi described the strikes as a flagrant violation of Saudi sovereignty and a direct threat to civilian lives as well as broader stability across the region. The secretary-general reaffirmed that all GCC member states stand united behind Saudi Arabia and back every step it takes to defend its security and territorial integrity. He urged the international community to take a decisive position that halts these repeated assaults and ensures those responsible face accountability.
Albudaiwi’s statement aligns with a pattern of GCC responses to Houthi actions documented on the council’s official website throughout 2026. Similar condemnations followed attacks on Najran in August that injured civilians and strikes in July targeting maritime assets including a Saudi-linked vessel. The council has consistently framed such incidents as violations of international law and threats that extend beyond Saudi borders to encompass the security of all GCC countries.
Earlier in September the Saudi Press Agency reported that Kuwait separately denounced Houthi missile and drone strikes on Khamis Mushait Abha and Taif that caused civilian injuries and property damage. Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry described those operations as breaches of Saudi sovereignty and international humanitarian standards while stressing that Saudi security forms an integral part of Kuwaiti and GCC security. The Kuwaiti position mirrors language used by Albudaiwi in the latest GCC announcement.
The United Nations Security Council issued its own condemnation of Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and commercial shipping in early August according to a GCC welcome statement posted on the same date. Albudaiwi at the time highlighted how targeting vessels in international waters compounds risks to maritime navigation and global trade routes. He called for urgent implementation of relevant Security Council resolutions to curb further aggression by the militia.
Records from the GCC secretariat show the secretary-general has issued at least five comparable statements since July 2026 alone each reiterating full solidarity with Saudi Arabia. These communiques routinely emphasize that any threat to the kingdom represents an attack on regional stability as a whole. The latest condemnation follows meetings Albudaiwi held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly where similar concerns were discussed with UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
Saudi authorities have intercepted the majority of incoming projectiles in recent episodes preventing larger-scale casualties though some attacks have caused injuries and damage to residential areas. The GCC assessment continues to tie these operations to a broader pattern of destabilizing behavior that undermines ongoing efforts toward peace in Yemen and the wider Gulf. Albudaiwi’s September 26 statement closed by demanding that perpetrators of the latest strikes be held to account under international norms.
