Handan Kazancı
20 November 2017•Update: 21 November 2017
By Muhammed Shekh Yusuf and Afra Aksoy
ISTANBUL
The Syrian opposition called on Arab countries to form a coalition against “interference by Iran in the region,” an official from the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, commonly known as the Syrian National Coalition, told Anadolu Agency on Monday.
Ahmed Ramazan, a spokesman for the coalition, which also operates as an interim Syrian government, said that the group is encouraging an Arab coalition to fight against “Iran’s plans and terror”.
“We should prevent Iran from exploiting the differences between the Arabs,” he said.
Ramazan added that putting out a notice would not be enough, but instead “action should be taken through the UN Security Council".
“Since the beginning of the crisis [in Syria], the opposition has been calling on the Arab League to take action against the interventions of Tehran and its push to create a sectarian conflict in the region,” Ramazan added.
He also accused Iran of trying to change Syria’s demographic makeup.
The coalition is trying to establish a “united Syrian front” with the international and Arab alliance to fight against Iran, he added.
On Sunday, foreign ministers of the Arab League held an extraordinary meeting in Cairo to discuss “Iran’s interventions in the region” at Saudi Arabia’s request.
At the Arab League’s head office in Cairo, ministers had 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.
“An Iranian-made missile, which [recently] targeted Saudi Arabia's capital city Riyadh, was a clear signal of Iran’s hostility,” he added.
On Monday, a Kremlin aide said the presidents of Russia, Turkey, and Iran would discuss the Syrian National Dialogue Congress at their upcoming summit on Wednesday in Sochi.
