Gulf Arab states, including Saudi Arabia, have denounced Iran’s “flagrant interference” in regional affairs after Iran objected to the despatch of Saudi troops to Bahrain and a spying row raised tensions farther.
A statement issued after a meeting of foreign ministers of the six-member Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) “severely condemned Iranian interference in the internal affairs of Bahrain which is in violation of international pacts”.
As well as Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait, the GCC includes Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
At their meeting they accused Tehran of plotting against GCC countries’ national security and fanning sedition and religious disputes among their citizens.
Tehran was also “violating the sovereignty” of members of the regional grouping.
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The GCC meeting came after Shia Iran criticised Saudi Arabia for sending troops to Bahrain, which faces protests by majority Shia Muslims against its Sunni Royal Family.
Saudi Arabia and other Sunni-ruled Gulf states, wary of Iran’s influence and Shia unrest, see Bahrain as posing the biggest threat among the popular uprisings that have swept the region since January.
The meeting “condemned the baseless accusations (by) the Iranian parliament regarding Saudi Arabia and considers it a hostile stand and a provocative interference”.
A key committee of Iran’s parliament’s had given a warning that Saudi Arabia was “playing with fire” by sending troops to Bahrain.
Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states say that the troops were sent under a joint GCC defence agreement.
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“I hope the Iranian leadership reconsiders its relationship and its co-operation and its dealing with ... GCC nations in a serious and real manner,” said Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahayan, Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates.
The meeting also condemned “the blatant Iranian interference in Kuwait through planting spy cells on its territory”.
A Kuwaiti court last week sentenced to death two Iranians and a Kuwaiti for being part of an alleged Iranian spy ring in a case that has strained Kuwait-Tehran relations.
Kuwait said on Thursday that it is considering expelling three Iranian diplomats over the spying row and withdrew its Ambassador from Tehran.
Iran has denied the spying allegations and said that it did not interfere in Kuwait’s internal affairs.
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The statement also voiced concern over the “deterioration of the security situation and the division in Yemen” after weeks of protests demanding the end of the 32-year rule of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, and called for all sides to engage in a national dialogue.