Khashan adds Iran has repeated that it is “not interested in escalation with Saudi Arabia”, and it “suspended a number of police officials in Tehran” over the Saudi Embassy attack.
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Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Abdel Al-Jubeir said on Saturday that his kingdom “is looking at additional measures to be taken, if Iran continues with its belligerent policies”.
Mr Arabi was addressing Arab Lea-gue foreign ministers gat-hered in Cairo for emergency talks requested by Riyadh on the dispute, which erupted after Saudi Arabia executed prominent Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr. His execution led to protests in Saudi Arabia as well as in Iran, Bahrain and other neighboring countries.
“It seems that Saudi Arabia considers not only its interest, [but also] its survival in the continuation of tensions and conflicts and is trying to settle its domestic problems through blame games”, said the spokesman.
He claims that Iran uses sectarianism as a tool to impose its hegemony over the region and to meddle in the internal affairs of Arab states.
In a statement released after the meeting the ministers, according to Arab News, said they supported efforts aimed at confronting Tehran’s “terrorist acts” and preventing it from “meddling in the affairs of Arab nations”.
Three Arab states have downgraded rather than cut relations, unwilling to exacerbate the rift between Riyadh and Tehran manifested in proxy wars in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen that have stirred tension between Sunnis and Shias across the region.
Last week, President Erdogan paid a two-day official visit to Saudi Arabia, where he met King Salman bin Abdul Aziz for talks focused on the Syrian crisis and energy cooperation between the two countries.
Also, Jubeir told reporters Sunday in Cairo that he did not expect the row to affect the peace talks over the Syrian conflict.
Al Nahyan, who heads the Arab ambassadors’ council, said the attack “took place under the nose and within the earshot of security forces”.
“We will not allow Saudi actions to have a negative impact”, he said.
Iran has blamed Saudi Arabia for the diplomatic crisis and accused the kingdom of “sectarian hate-mongering”.
Iran’s signing of a deal with world powers over its nuclear programme past year sparked deep concern in Saudi Arabia, a key United States ally, that its longtime rival was emerging from global isolation.
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Meanwhile, Turkey’s Foreign Ministry condemned the attack on the embassy of Saudi Arabia, and urged Tehran and Riyadh to resolve the crisis in relations diplomatically.
