Iran on Friday condemned a joint statement issued by the US secretary of state and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) foreign ministers, describing it as “interventionist, irresponsible and provocative.” In a statement, the Iranian foreign ministry criticised positions outlined in the joint communique issued after the GCC-US ministerial meeting in Bahrain on Thursday and warned against what it called continued hostile and interventionist behaviour in the region. Tehran dismissed Washington’s stated “enduring commitment” to the security of GCC member states as “mere rhetoric” and a distortion of reality, arguing that the US military presence in the region has become a source of insecurity and division. The ministry said the recent use of military bases and facilities in regional countries during US and Israeli strikes on Iran demonstrated that Washington did not value the security of its regional partners.