Arab League President: Iran's Actions are Provocative

Nabil Al-Arabi, the President of the Arab League, accused Iran of engaging in "provocative actions" during a session of the League held on Sunday, January 20. According to AFP, Al-Arabi urged all diplomats present at the meeting to adopt a "joint, strong, and clear position and demand that Iran cease all forms of interference in Arab countries' affairs." Reuters reported that Adel Al-Jubeir, the Saudi Foreign Minister, also mentioned during the meeting that the attacks on Saudi diplomatic sites in Iran reflect Iran's approach in its policies, especially towards the Arab region. According to the Saudi Foreign Minister, Iran's policies in the region include "interference in the affairs of countries, inciting sectarian disputes, and undermining security and stability (in the region)." Following the recent attacks on Saudi diplomatic sites in Tehran and Mashhad, the Arab League held an emergency meeting in Cairo on January 20 at Riyadh's request to address this issue. This meeting came a day after a Gulf Cooperation Council meeting in Riyadh that condemned Iran. The extraordinary session in Cairo was convened to condemn "Iran's interference in the internal affairs of Arab countries." Some Arab League members had previously condemned the attacks on the Saudi embassy in Tehran and its consulate in Mashhad, with Al-Arabi, the Secretary-General of the League, labeling these attacks as a "clear violation of international conventions." However, Saudi Arabia is seeking to garner firm support from most members of the League. An Arab League official, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Saudi newspaper Al-Eqtisadiah that it is expected that all Arab League countries, except for three, will express support for Saudi Arabia; he refrained from naming those three countries. According to the Arab League's regulations, eleven countries' support is required to adopt a proposal within the League, but Saudi Arabia is expected to receive support from 18 countries during the Sunday meeting; the Arab League has 22 members. Following the harsh verbal attacks from Iranian religious, political, and military officials against Saudi Arabia after the execution of Sheikh Nimr Baqr al-Nimr, a Shiite cleric critical of the country, and the subsequent attacks on the Saudi embassy and consulate in Tehran and Mashhad on December 12, Riyadh severed its diplomatic and economic relations with Tehran. Saudi Arabia also reported these attacks to the United Nations Security Council, which led to a condemnation statement against Iran. Saudi Arabia has also called on its allies to respond, resulting in the severing of relations by Sudan, Somalia, Bahrain, Djibouti, and the Comoros with Iran, as well as the summoning of ambassadors from Qatar and Kuwait, and a reduction of the UAE's relations with Tehran to the level of chargé d'affaires. Jordan also summoned the Iranian ambassador in Amman to its Foreign Ministry. The Saudi Foreign Minister, when announcing the severing of relations with Tehran, stated that they had also asked the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to take a stance on this matter. This council, which includes Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and the UAE, issued a statement on Saturday in an emergency meeting in Riyadh expressing its "strong support" for Saudi Arabia. The statement condemned "the attacks on Saudi diplomatic sites in Iran" and also condemned what it called "Iran's interference in Saudi Arabia's affairs," adding that the council "expresses its firm support for Saudi Arabia's decisions to combat terrorism and its full confidence in the independence and integrity of its judicial system." The Gulf Cooperation Council's statement accused Iran of "directly inciting attacks on Saudi diplomatic sites." The government of Hassan Rouhani condemned both the execution of Sheikh Nimr and the attacks on Saudi diplomatic sites in Iran, accusing Riyadh of pursuing a "policy of provocation" in the region by severing relations with Iran.