Photo/Somali Times
By Shams Ahsan and Ekleel Sallam
MAKKAH — Arab and Gulf leaders gathered in the vicinity of Makkah late Thursday night called for intensifying diplomatic efforts between Arab and regional countries and international organizations to shed light on Iran’s policies and practices that endanger peace and security in the region. In communiqués issued at the conclusion of two emergency summits, the leaders urged the international community to take a firm stand against Iran and its destabilizing activities in the region.
They reiterated their firm stand against any Iranian attempts to threaten energy security and the freedom and safety of maritime installations in the Arabian Gulf and other waterways, whether carried out by Iran or through its proxies in the region. The two summits were called by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman in the wake of the sabotage of four vessels in the territorial waters of the UAE and drone attacks by the Iranian-allied Houthi militias on two Saudi oil pumping stations.
Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit and Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary General Abdullatif Al-Zayani read out the communiqués in a joint press briefing with Foreign Minister Ibrahim Al-Assaf at the Guest Palace in Mina early Friday morning. The leaders affirmed the solidarity and unity of Arab countries with each other in the face of Iranian interference.
They also called for intensifying cooperation and coordination to deter these dangers. They emphasized that Arab countries seek to restore security and stability in the region and that the only true way is for all states in the region to respect the principles of good neighborliness, refrain from the use of force, and stop interfering in the internal affairs of others.
“The conduct of Iran is contrary to these principles that undermines confidence building measures, directly and dangerously threatening the security and stability of the region,” they said. The leaders also condemned the continued firing of Iranian-made ballistic missiles on Saudi Arabia by the Houthi militias. They said the Kingdom has the full right to defend its territory in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations.
Al-Assaf said that the Houthis have so far fired 225 missiles and launched 155 drones on the Kingdom.”These continuous attacks appear to escalate the already tense situation in the Gulf region. These attacks in our view have goals beyond those of the previous ones,” Al-Assaf told a packed house of media persons from across the world.
He said the biggest concern is Iran’s development of ballistic missiles and nuclear capabilities, which pose a direct threat to Gulf countries. The minister said Iran’s transgressions and support for its proxy terror groups exceeded Arab and neighboring countries to Latin America and America when they tried to assassinate the Saudi ambassador in Washington.
In reply to a question whether the participation of Qatar’s prime minister in the two summits was a sign of thaw in the ties, Assaf said the position of the quartet is to find a solution to the causes of the crisis between these countries and Qatar, and there will be a solution if Qatar returns to the right path.
Source: Saudi Gazette