Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal called on Monday for Yemenis not to serve foreign interests in the region and charged that Iranian forces were “occupying” other countries.
Al-Faisal’s remarks came during a press conference in Jeddah with visiting German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier. AFP news agency quoted the Saudi foreign minister as saying, “In many of [the region’s] conflicts, Iran is part of the problem and not part of the solution.”
Regarding Syria, he called for Iran to withdraw its “occupying” forces. “Our reservations are about Iran’s policy in the region, not about Iran as a country or people,” he was quoted by AFP.
He said that, “Iranian forces in Syria are occupying forces,” and called President Bashar Al-Assad an “illegitimate” leader who is also part of the problem.
He further explained that, “If Iran wants to contribute to solving the problems in Syria, it should withdraw its troops from Syria,” adding that the same applies to Yemen and Iraq.
Al-Faisal discussed many regional and other international issues with Steinmeier.
In the past, rights groups have accused Saudi Arabia of taking military action against the restive Shiite Youthi rebel group in northern Yemen. The Kingdom also sent its armed forces into Bahrain when the Shiite majority of that country mobilised to demand democratic reforms.
According to Arab media, Al-Faisal said on Monday that: “In Yemen, with its geographic and demographic diversity, it is impossible to live in peace and security without coexistence and equality in the duties and rights among all inhabitants,” referring to the country’s social and sectarian differences.
He pointed out that these concerns were included in the Gulf Initiative for Yemen that led to the deposition of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh in late 2011.
The Saudi foreign minister called for all Yemenis to use the language of the mind instead of the language of weapons, as well as to place the interests of the country above partisan interests.
Meanwhile, Al-Faisal said that he deplored the acts of the Islamic State and said it is a terrorist threat to the region and the whole world. This requires joint action against it, he said, noting that his country is taking part in the US-led coalition’s aerial attacks against the Islamic State.