Iran: Saudi ‘vain policies’ main reason behind regional problems
madaresharghi Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi on Monday called Saudi Arabia’s “vain policies” the main reason behind the current problems in the region. Qassemi made the comments in reaction to a statement by the Arab League against Iran and Hezbollah, madaresharghi reported. He said that solution to the problems in the region is not […]
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi on Monday called Saudi Arabia’s “vain policies” the main reason behind the current problems in the region.
Qassemi made the comments in reaction to a statement by the Arab League against Iran and Hezbollah, madaresharghi reported.
He said that solution to the problems in the region is not issuing “worthless statements”, but not following the policies of Israeli regime.”
Qassemi rejected the Arab League’s final statement as a Saudi Arabian document “full of lies and distortion” issued in the name of the Arab League foreign ministers.
Instead of resorting to political pressures and issuing such statements, Saudi Arabia should immediately end the savage aggression against Yemen, the spokesperson added.
Since March 2015, Saudi Arabia and some of its allies have launched a military campaign against Yemen to restore power to the former president Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi, a close ally of Riyadh.
Since then, more than 14,000 people have been killed and millions have been forced from their homes, while the country is also facing severe famine and a deadly cholera outbreak.
The Iranian official also urged Riyadh to reverse the policy of pressure on its Arab neighbors, including Lebanon and Qatar, and stop the military campaign on Yemen to allow for negotiated peace in that country.
Iran’s policy is to boost good relations with regional countries, he said and added that the Islamic Republic has made great efforts to counter terrorism and help solve regional crises by actively participating in several rounds of peace talks in the Kazakh capital of Astana on the Syrian conflict and presenting a peace plan for Yemen.
Arab League foreign ministers meeting in Cairo on Sunday accused Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement of destabilizing the region and vowing to take the matter to the UN Security Council.
Lebanese President Michel Aoun rejected the Arab League statement.
Aoun said Lebanon had been subjected to Israeli “aggression” for decades and had the right to defend itself. Hezbollah forced Israel to withdraw from southern Lebanon in 2000 and continues to portray itself as Lebanon’s first line of defense. Hezbollah is also a member of Lebanon’s coalition government.