Arab Quartet condemns Iran meddling in Arab affairs
Ministers pointed to Iran’s smuggling of weapons into Yemen which were used to attack Saudi Arabia
Dubai: Foreign ministers from the Arab Quartet met in Riyadh on Thursday to discuss ways to counter Iran’s continued meddling in the domestic affairs of Arab countries.
The meeting took place two days before a scheduled Arab Summit to be held in Dammam on Sunday.
The ministers issued a statement denouncing Iranian officials’ provocative anti-Arab statements.
They expressed deep concern over Iran’s stirring of sectarianism and provision of arms to terrorist groups which “threatens Arab national security and obstructs regional and international efforts to resolve outstanding issues in a peaceful way”.
The ministers pointed to Iran’s smuggling of weapons into Yemen, including ballistic missiles, which were fired into Saudi Arabia by Al Houthi militants.
Such actions were in violation of Security Council resolutions 2216 and 2015, a joint statement read.
The committee denounced as well Iran’s subversive acts in Bahrain, commending Manama’s counterterrorism efforts and the security apparatus’ recent arrest of 116 terrorists belonging to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and eizbollah as well as Ahl Al Haq terrorist group who all have been trained and funded by the Iranian to carry out acts of terror to destabilize the country and deal a heavy blow against the Bahraini economy.
The ministers were briefed on a report submitted by Bahrain on the role of the Iran-owned Future Bank which was closed down recently by the Bahraini authorities for its role in supporting acts of terror in the Kingdom.
The ministers pledged their “full support” for measures adopted by Saudi Arabia and Bahrain to stand up to such acts of terror and protect their national security and stability.
The committee affirmed the necessity of Iran abiding by Security Council Resolutions No 2231 on its nuclear missile programme and the importance of ensuring Tehran joining all nuclear safety conventions.
The meeting was held by Anwar Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al Jubair, Bahraini Foreign Minister Khalid Bin Ahmad Al Khalifa, and Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri, in the presence of the Arab League Secretary General Ahmad Abu Al Gheit.
Al Jubeir said the Arab Summit would not tackle the Quartet’s standoff with Qatar adding: “The solution of Qatar will be within the GCC.”
