ZCZC
BFF-33
SAUDI-DIPLOMACY-IRAN-LEAD
Riyadh rallies allies against Tehran at Mecca summits
MECCA, Saudi Arabia, May 31, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Gulf and Arab allies rallied
around Saudi Arabia Friday as it ratcheted up tensions with regional rival
Iran after a series of attacks, drawing accusations from Tehran of “sowing
division”.
Tehran, which has strongly denied involvement in any of the attacks,
expressed disappointment that Riyadh plans to level the same “baseless
accusations” at a summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)
early on Saturday.
King Salman called on Gulf and Arab leaders to confront Iran’s “criminal
acts” after still unexplained sabotage attacks damaged four vessels, two of
them Saudi oil tankers, in the Sea of Oman and twin Yemeni rebel drone
attacks shut down a key Saudi oil pipeline.
His remarks came at the start of two back-to-back emergency summits in the
Muslim holy city of Mecca that drew near-unanimous support for the Sunni
kingdom from Gulf and Arab states — with the notable exception of Iraq.
A joint statement issued by Arab leaders condemned “acts by the terrorist
Huthi militias supported by Iran who (sent) aircraft that crossed into Saudi
Arabia to two oil pumping stations and acts of sabotage that affected
commercial ships in territorial waters of the United Arab Emirates”.
They said Iran’s behaviour “poses a direct and serious threat” and called
on “the international community to take a firm stand to confront Iran and its
destabilising acts in the region”.
– ‘Support for US strategy’ –
A joint statement issued by Gulf leaders went further, echoing criticism
of a landmark 2015 nuclear deal between major powers and Iran voiced by US
President Donald Trump when he abandoned the agreement in May last year.
It expressed “support for the US strategy towards Iran” that has seen
Washington tighten the screws on Iran’s economy with crippling unilateral
sanctions and deploy an aircraft carrier task force, B-52 bombers and an
amphibious assault ship to the Gulf, along with additional troops.
Gulf leaders called on Iran to “stay away from hostile, destabilising
acts”.
They urged the international community to take “more serious and effective
steps to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear capabilities and to impose
stricter restrictions on Iran’s ballistic missile programme”.
They also stressed “the importance of strengthening Gulf-US cooperation in
the framework of a strategic partnership” that has been strongly promoted by
the Trump administration.
The summits came after Trump’s hawkish National Security Advisor John
Bolton said Wednesday that Iranian naval mines were “almost certainly”
responsible for the damage to the four ships off the United Arab Emirates on
May 12.
The findings of a five-nation inquiry into what happened have yet to be
released.
Tehran dismissed Bolton’s accusation as “laughable” and accused him of
pursuing “evil desires for chaos in the region”.
– Iraq declines to sign –
Saudi Arabia hosted the summits — which will be followed by a third
meeting in Mecca early on Saturday of heads of state from Islamic nations —
in a bid to present a united front.
But Iraq, caught in the middle of its two allies, the US and Iran, opposed
the final statement released by Arab countries.
Despite the US administration’s assurances that it is purely defensive,
Washington’s military buildup has raised concerns, even among allied
governments, that brinksmanship with Tehran could lead to a dangerous
miscalculation.
Iraq, which has warned repeatedly of the risks of war, has offered to
mediate between Washington and Tehran.
Mediation efforts have been made too by the Gulf sultanate of Oman, which
has maintained good relations with Tehran through successive regional crises.
– Qatar present –
Through the summits, Saudi Arabia has sought to project a unified Arab
front against Tehran in the face of a bitter rift with neighbouring Qatar.
Qatar was represented at Friday’s meetings by Prime Minister Sheikh
Abdullah bin Nasser Al-Thani, Doha’s highest-ranking official to visit the
kingdom since the start of a Saudi-led boycott in 2017.
Appearing tense, the Qatari official shook hands with the Saudi king but
there was no indication of a thaw.
Saudi Arabia and its allies accuse Qatar of supporting Islamist movements
and backing Iran — claims Doha rejects — and they have enforced bans on
shipping, trade, direct flights, overflight and land crossings.
The summits coincided with the last few days of the Muslim fasting month
of Ramadan, when Mecca throngs with hundreds of thousands of pilgrims.
BSS/AFP/RY/1630 hrs