Iran has denied accusations of interference in the affairs of regional countries made in an Arab League summit, calling them baseless, lies and the product of Saudi pressure.
"It was hoped that the summit would take a positive step toward regional cooperation…but the heavy shadow of destructive Saudi policies is evident in certain clauses of the final statement of the summit," Foreign Ministry spokesman, Bahram Qasemi, said late on Sunday, IRNA reported.
The summit, in the Saudi city of Dhahran on Sunday, denounced what it claimed was Iran’s interference in the affairs of other countries, called for more international sanctions on Tehran and urged it to withdraw "its militias" from Syria and Yemen, Reuters reported.
“The summit condemned Iranian interference in the internal affairs of Arab countries, either through igniting sectarian strife or planting militias in Arab countries such as Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen, and harboring al-Qaeda terrorists,” Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told a news conference. Iran denies the charges as baseless.
Qasemi said the summit failed to identify the major roots of regional crises due to its disregard for ground realities and instead focused on parroting “baseless” claims and lies against Iran.
Islands Claim
The official also rejected the United Arab Emirates’ repeated claim of sovereignty over Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser Tunbs islands, which sit near strategic oil shipping lanes at the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf. Such claims amount to interference in Iran’s internal affairs, he said, adding that facts in history and geography can never be distorted.
The summit reiterated its call on the Iranian government to end what it claimed is the occupation of the UAE islands.
Need for Realism
Qasemi said, “The stated policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran has always been based on closer cooperation, mutual respect for the sovereignty of all countries, particularly neighbors, and good neighborliness.”
A realistic view of regional issues, interaction, dialogue, good will, foresight and confidence-building measures are required to help defuse the tensions, the foreign ministry spokesman added, calling on the Arab regimes to refrain from leveling false allegations against Tehran.
