Arab League official says Turkey, Iran interventions crossed all red lines

Assistant Secretary General of the Arab League Hossam Zaki said Turkish and Iranian meddling in Arab countries’ affairs have crossed all red lines, pointing to the importance of inter-Arab reconciliation.

In an interview with the London-based Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper published yesterday, Zaki said: “The issue of meddling is particularly clear in the case of Iran, because it is evident in the way it has dealt with its Arab neighbours for years: exporting its revolution through creating, arming and using militias in times of crisis or even peace. This has made the atmosphere tense in several countries.”

Remarking on Turkey, Zaki pointed out that a new and alarming course in Turkey’s behaviour: “What these two countries [Iran and Turkey] are doing has crossed all red lines.”

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The Arab situation is extremely delicate, he continued, and requires careful handling so as not to allow external interventions to cause more harm.

“The Arab situation is difficult and has become more complicated during the last seven years, because of the divisions that have occurred in the Arab body,” he said.

He stressed that it is too early to judge the outcome of the protests in Iran, and their impact on Lebanon and Iraq.

Regarding the League’s position on the Syrian crisis, he said that the League is always ready to intervene, but the question is whether other parties are willing to allow the League to play its role in this file.