Arab League Supports Saudi Arabia, Condemns Iranian Aggression in Region

WASHINGTON, Jan. 10, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Arab League foreign ministers meeting in emergency session in Cairo today expressed their full support for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and condemned the recent attacks on the Saudi embassy in Tehran and consulate in Mashad.

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir thanked the Arab League Council for its rapid response to Saudi Arabia's request to hold the meeting. "It is no secret to the council that these attacks came after aggressive statements against the Kingdom," Minister Al-Jubeir said.

In its communique issued following the meeting, the Council of the Arab League held Iran responsible for the attacks, calling on Iran to abide by international conventions and treaties, mainly the 1961 and the 1963 Vienna Conventions, which hold host countries responsible for protecting diplomatic missions. The communique was supported by all member states except Lebanon.

The council deplored Iran's hostile and provocative statements against Saudi Arabia following the execution of a number of terrorists who were convicted and sentenced in Saudi courts. The council considered the Iranian statements to be blatant interference in Saudi justice and the internal affairs of the Kingdom, and incompatible with the UN Charter.

The council emphasized that it was standing united with Saudi Arabia and that it supported the decisions and measures taken by the Kingdom to fight terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and to find the perpetrators of terrorist acts and instigators of sedition and bring them to justice.  

The council commended the efficiency, independence and impartiality of the judicial system in Saudi Arabia and welcomed the categorical rejection of these attacks expressed by Arab, Islamic, and friendly countries and the UN Security Council.

The council called on the international community—all countries and regional and international bodies and organizations—to take serious and effective steps to prevent such attacks on all diplomatic missions in Iran.

The council deplored the Iranian government's failure to take necessary measures to protect diplomatic facilities and personnel of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Iran, stressing that the Arab countries will take further appropriate measures.

The council condemned the continuing Iranian government interference in the internal affairs of the Arab countries over the past decades, stressing that such acts undermine security and stability in the region, are a violation of international law and are contrary to the principle of good neighborliness.

The council denounced Iran's continuing occupation of the three United Arab Emirates islands of Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa. It also condemned Iran's fomenting of sectarian strife, its support, training and financing of terrorist organizations, and its attempts to incite actions to undermine security and stability in the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). It referred to the foiled terrorist plot in the Kingdom of Bahrain and the arrest of members of a new terrorist cell that receives support from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The council condemned Iran's continued interference in the Syrian crisis and the serious implications of this interference on the future of Syria and its security, stability, national unity and territorial integrity.

The council also condemned Iran's intervention in Yemen's internal affairs through its support for forces fighting the legitimate government in Yemen, which have had a negative impact on the security and stability of the entire region.

The council agreed to up an effective mechanism to confront this Iranian interference, urging the international community to take the necessary measures to compel Iran to respect the principle of good neighborliness, both in words and in deeds, to stop its destabilizing activities in the region, to stop its support for terrorism, to cease interfering in the internal affairs of the GCC countries and other countries in the region, and to end the use of force or threat of force against others.

The council stressed that Iran's interference in the internal affairs of Arab countries fuels sectarianism and that such acts do not serve peace and security in the Middle East region and the world. Such acts are incompatible with the principles of good neighborliness, non-interference in the internal affairs of states, and respect for national sovereignty, and only serve to complicate the situation and ignite more crises in the region.

The statement said that Lebanon's delegation to the meeting decided not to join the communique after the Council of Arab Ministers rejected its request that a phrase mentioning Hezbollah of Lebanon be deleted because the party is an integral part of Lebanon's House of Representatives and the Council of Ministers.

SOURCE Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, Information Office