Saudi Arabia welcomes Iraq's pledge not to host attacks on Gulf states

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Saudi Arabia's Council of Ministers condemned in the strongest terms Iran's repeated attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and on Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Jordan, the state-run Saudi Press Agency reported. The council said it did not accept Iran's behavior, which it described as destabilizing regional security and violating international law. The cabinet welcomed the outcomes of a Saudi-Iraqi meeting held in Riyadh and praised Baghdad's commitment not to allow its territory or airspace to be used for attacks against Saudi Arabia or other Gulf Cooperation Council member states. The two sides agreed to maintain bilateral coordination, according to the statement. Separately, the council said it viewed positively the start of the U.S. process to remove Syria from its list of state sponsors of terrorism. The kingdom reiterated its support for steps taken by the Syrian government to strengthen security and stability and rebuild state institutions.