Iranian news agencies say that the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic on Wednesday strongly protested against “four anti-Iranian clauses and one clause against Lebanese Hezbollah” in the draft statement of the Islamic Cooperation Organization summit, but the Saudi delegation, along with several other countries, “prevented the opening of discussion on these clauses.”
Iranian news agencies, including the state news agency IRNA, reported on Wednesday, April 25, citing “informed sources,” that Mohammad Javad Zarif considered “four anti-Iranian clauses and one clause against Lebanese Hezbollah” in the draft statement of the summit of Islamic countries “contrary to the spirit of Islamic solidarity and in line with the interests of Israel.”
According to the report, however, the Saudi Arabian delegation, along with several other countries, “prevented the opening of discussion on these clauses” of the statement of the summit of Islamic countries.
The draft of this statement was prepared during a meeting of senior experts from member states of the Islamic Cooperation Organization in Jeddah last March, and the Iranian delegation was unable to attend the meeting due to the Saudi Arabian government’s failure to issue visas.
IRNA news agency, without referring to the details of this statement, emphasized that “the approval of anti-Iranian and anti-Lebanese Hezbollah clauses demonstrates Saudi Arabia’s and some allied countries’ instrumental abuse of the Islamic Cooperation Organization for their destructive political purposes.”
According to the report, Iran’s Foreign Minister said at this summit that condemning Lebanese Hezbollah “will only please Israel.”
Previously, the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council had also listed Lebanese Hezbollah, which is supported by the Islamic Republic of Iran, on its list of terrorist groups. This action came after an attack on Saudi Arabian diplomatic representatives in Iran and the severance of relations between the two countries.
At the same time, Iran’s Foreign Minister said that “problems and disagreements between countries should be resolved through bilateral talks, not by bringing bilateral issues into multilateral meetings.”
The Islamic Cooperation Organization summit is held once every three years, and more than 30 leaders and senior officials from predominantly Muslim-majority countries are expected to attend the gathering this year in Turkey on Thursday and Friday.
Syria and Yemen are among the issues expected to be raised at the upcoming summit. Iran is one of the most important supporters of Bashar al-Assad in Syria, while most Arab countries and Turkey are opponents of Mr. Assad.
Regarding Yemen, there are also deep differences between Tehran and Riyadh and its allies. Iran is accused of supporting Houthi rebels and objects to Saudi Arabia’s military intervention in Yemen.
The Libyan crisis, Afghanistan, and recent tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan are among other issues that the leaders of predominantly Muslim-majority countries of the Islamic Conference Organization will address.
Meanwhile, before traveling to Istanbul, Iran’s President said that “today in the Islamic world we are facing the problem of terrorism, extremism, sectarianism, and unfortunately the transgression of some countries against others.”
Hassan Rouhani emphasized that Iran has assisted Iraq and Syria in combating “terrorism.”
Iran’s President arrived in Istanbul on Wednesday night to participate in the Islamic Cooperation Organization summit, and Mustafa Ysittas, Turkey’s Minister of Economy, received him.
Before President Rouhani’s departure for Turkey, Salman, the King of Saudi Arabia, had traveled to the country with a delegation of 300 people. Hurriyet newspaper says that Ankara had been preparing to host the Saudi King for a week. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of Turkey, personally went to receive King Salman.
