ISTANBUL

An emergency ministerial meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) called Tuesday for the resumption of nuclear negotiations between Iran and the US.

In a final statement, the meeting welcomed US President Donald Trump’s announcement of a ceasefire agreement between Iran and Israel.

GCC Secretary-General Jassim Albudaiwi said the council expressed its “deep regret and strong condemnation” of an Iranian missile attack on an air base on the Qatari territory on Monday.

“This act represents a blatant, unacceptable, and serious violation of Qatar’s sovereignty, airspace, and principles of good neighborliness, as well as a clear breach of international law and the UN Charter, regardless of any excuses or justifications,” he said.

The ministerial meeting was held a day after Iran launched a barrage of missiles on the US Al Udeid Base in Qatar in retaliation for Sunday’s US strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites.

The ministerial meeting emphasized the necessity of “an immediate halt to all military actions … and the push towards a serious return to negotiations leading to sustainable solutions.”

It highlighted “the significance of this moment as an opportunity to pave a new path toward a positive future for the region, affirming its readiness to support all efforts in this regard.”

Tehran and Washington held five rounds of Oman-mediated talks on Iran’s nuclear program. A sixth round was scheduled for June 16, but was called off after Israeli strikes on Iran.

Israel launched airstrikes on several sites across Iran since June 13, including military and nuclear facilities, alleging that Tehran was on the verge of producing a nuclear bomb, a claim vehemently denied by Iran.

While Iran launched retaliatory missile and drone strikes, the US joined the conflict by bombing three Iranian nuclear sites on Sunday.

After 12 days of aerial combat between the two regional arch-foes, US President Donald Trump announced overnight a ceasefire between Israel and Iran to end their conflict.