Arab leaders call on Iran to be a good neighbor and stop interferences

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region—Leaders of the Arab world took a unanimous stance against Iran at their League’s summit in the Mauritanian capital of Nouakchott on Monday, describing Tehran’s meddling in the region a threat to the Arab national security.

“We reaffirm our rejection of foreign interferences in the domestic affairs of Arab states especially the Iranian interference, which will threaten the Arab national security,” said leaders of the Arab League in a joint public statement. 

Representatives at the summit urged closer cooperation among Arab states and called on Iran to behave on the principles of a good neighbor and end its hostile media campaign against the Arab world. 

According to Asharq Alawsat newspaper’s Tuesday edition, the Arab leaders asked Iran to stop feeding conflicts in the region with its sectarian policies. 

The summit similarly demanded that Iran respects the sovereignty of the United Arab Emirates while condemning Iran’s military exercises around the islands of Abu Musa, Greater and Lesser Tunb. 

The Emir of Kuwait whose country shares waters with Iran stated that any successful dialogue with Iran would be conditional to Iran’s respect for the sovereignty of other countries and an end to its interference.

“Any successful dialogue with Iran comes with its respect to the international law, and respect sovereignty of states and not interfere in the domestic affairs of Arab states,” said Sheikh Sabah IV Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Emir of Kuwait in his speech at the summit on Monday, as reported by Anadolu agency.

The Bahraini royal family, who have accused Iran in the last few years of trying to destabilize the small island state, said at the summit that Tehran was training terrorists in the region.

“Counter-terrorism won’t succeed but by countering Iranian interferences in Arab countries,” said Sheikh Hamad bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, King of Bahrain in a statement read at the summit by a representative. “Iran train and support terrorist groups and make provocative comments.”

The Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir added his voice to the Arab call on Iran to be a good neighbor.

“The Iranian interference in domestic Arab affairs and its efforts to export revolution contradicts with being a good neighbor and international principles that will lead to the rise of tensions and conflicts in the region,” said Al-Jubeir, according to the Saudi’s al- Okaz newspaper.