Arab League denounces Iranian ‘interference’ in internal affairs

The Cabinet noted the position of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Gulf Cooperation Council for Arab states, their strong condemnation of Iranian attacks, their categorical rejection of them, and holding Iranian authorities fully responsible according to their commitment to Vienna Conventions 1961 and 1963, and the worldwide law holding countries responsible for protecting diplomatic missions.

The feud first erupted last week after Iranian protesters stormed the Saudi embassy in response to the execution of Nimr al-Nimr, a Shia religious leader in Riyadh.

Friction between Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia and Iran spiked this month with the execution of Saudi cleric Nimr al-Nimr, a Shiite dissident. Saudi Arabia’s embassy in Tehran and its mission in Mashhad, Iran’s second city, were attacked by mobs and set on fire after the killing.

Indonesia wants to mediate between Saudi Arabia and Iran in the hope of preserving peace in the Middle East, an Indonesian official said on Tuesday, warning that the impact of war between the neighbours would have a global impact.

He was responding to certain queries regarding media reports about an in-camera briefing to the National Assembly Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs by Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz.

Nimr was executed in Saudi Arabia last week alongside 46 other people on terrorism charges.

Saudi-Iranian relations were also severely tested in September when a stampede of Muslim pilgrims on their way to Mecca resulted in the deaths of many hundreds, including a large number of Iranians, which Zarif said was the result of Saudi negligence. Interestingly one of these partner countries (Yemen) is also the one that is bombed by Saudi Arabia on a daily basis. 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. “In Iran I got the same assurance”, he said.

The meeting was held in Riyadh under the chairmanship of Saudi Foreign Minister Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hossein Jaber Ansari said that Iran is seeking to soothe tensions in the region including its frictions with Saudi Arabia, as quoted by the official IRNA news agency on Sunday.