Brussels, 31/01/2012 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 31 January, the secretary general of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Abdullatif Bin Rashid Al Zayani, stated his organisation's concern about Iran and assured he was seeking to calm the tension. He explained that energy security is a matter that must be tackled. A joint effort is needed, he said, to be certain that countries receive what they need. He went on to specify that only the Organisation of Oil Producing and Exporting Countries (OPEC) can know whether these states will be able to offset the loss of their Iranian oil supply source.
Faced with Iran's threat to close the Strait of Hormuz, Al Zayani highlighted international law, saying it is not very wise to threaten to put such a blockade in place as it could lead to quite a difficult situation. The strait is an international shipping lane, and commitments have been taken regarding it. The international community must ensure that shipping can continue without hindrance and “we shall be working in line with international law”, he said.
On Monday 30 January, an officer of the Kuwaiti navy announced that the naval forces and coastguards of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries have finalised a contingency plan that would take effect in the event of closure of the strait. (CG/transl.jl)