CAIRO: Saudi Arabia’s top diplomat urged Arabs yesterday to stand up to Persian Iran’s ambitions in the region, including its nuclear program. Prince Saud Al-Faisal told a meeting of Arab foreign ministers in Cairo that non-Arab countries should not interfere in Iraq, Lebanon and the Palestinian territories – all places where Iran has been accused of supporting militants.
Saud stressed that resolution of disputes among Arabs depended on “a unified and a joint vision” in dealing with the “Iranian challenge in regard to the Arabian Gulf security and the nuclear issue”. The predominantly Sunni Arab Middle East has been wary of the growing influence of Shiite Iran and Saud’s comments were a clear call for Arab unity.
His remarks came a day after he and his Arab counterparts expressed their concerns about Iran to US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. The ministers and Clinton met on the sidelines of an international conference in Egypt on Monday that raised $5.2 billion in pledges to rebuild the devastated Gaza Strip.
Last week, Clinton announced the appointment of veteran diplomat Dennis Ross to be her special adviser on matters related to the Gulf, including overtures to the Iranians. Arabs fear that the Obama administration’s expected efforts to engage Tehran might lead to a deal that would bring U.S. and Iran closer at the expense of Arab interests.
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