Arab League foreign ministers slam Iran's hostile acts

CAIRO

Foreign ministers of the Arab League convened an extraordinary meeting to discuss "Iran’s interventions in the region" upon the request of Saudi Arabia in Cairo on Sunday.

At the Arab League’s head office in Cairo, ministers accused Iran of supplying missiles to Houthis in Yemen.

In his opening speech, Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit said: “Since the beginning of the conflict in Yemen, 332 ballistic missiles have been used, which came from a single source, Iran. Iran supports many other militias in Arab countries.

“Iran-made missile, which [recently] targeted Saudi Arabia's capital city Riyadh, was a clear message about the hostility of Iran,” Gheit added.

Gheit emphasized that the liberation of the region from violence and sectarianism is based on changing Iran's approach to the Arab world.

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said Iranian missiles did not respect the sanctity of Islam in Mecca.

“The region is exposed to major threats from Iranian interventions and attacks against Saudi Arabia. What is expected from the Arabs is to undertake their national responsibilities,” al-Jubeir said.

Djibouti's Minister of Foreign Affairs Mahmoud Ali Youssef urged Iran to stop intervening in the internal affairs of Arab countries.

“Immediate and effective solutions are needed against recent Iranian intervention in the region,” he said.

Yemen has been dogged by chaos since 2014, when the Shia Houthi militia overran vast swathes of the country, including capital Sanaa, forcing Hadi’s embattled government to set up an interim capital in Aden.

The conflict escalated in 2015 when Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies launched a massive air campaign aimed at reversing Houthi military gains and shoring up Hadi’s pro-Saudi government.

According to UN officials, more than 10,000 people have been killed in the conflict to date.

Reporting by Afra Aksoy and Safiye by Seyit Ahmet Aytac