The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) group of states at the United Nations stressed that persistence of military escalation in the Middle East will put in grave peril the security of the peoples across the region.

The GCC states urge all parties to the conflict to immediately halt of all hostilities and exercise maximum restraint to prevent expansion of the conflict, Kuwait's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Tareq Al-Banai said on Sunday.

Ambassador Al-Banai was addressing an emergency meeting by the UN Security Council on the situation in the region on behalf of the GCC group. The GCC group is following up with profound concern the accelerated developments in the region, notably the latest airstrikes in nuclear sites in Iran, he said, noting that the strikes posed grave risk to the security and stability inside the region and beyond.

Ambassador Al-Banai urged the Security Council and the international community at large to shoulder their responsibility for preserving the world security, halting the violations of the international law, and ensuring respect for the sovereignty of the UN member states and safety of their vital facilities including the nuclear sites under the IAEA Safeguards.

The GCC group of states underscores the importance of giving precedence to diplomacy and dialogue in addressing international disputes, which is crucial to realizing stability, prosperity and justice, he went on.

He stressed the need of doubling down on efforts to reach peaceful solutions to the current crisis, with a view to turning over a new leaf in the relations among the states in the region.

The GCC group of states strongly support the regional and international efforts aiming to defuse the crisis, and restore security and stability for the benefit of all, he concluded.