Jeddah Ministerial Meeting Calls on Iran to Stop Fueling Sectarianism

Saudi FM Adel al-Jubeir speaks during the emergency meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Jeddah. (SPA)
Saudi FM Adel al-Jubeir speaks during the emergency meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Jeddah. (SPA)
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Jeddah Ministerial Meeting Calls on Iran to Stop Fueling Sectarianism

Saudi FM Adel al-Jubeir speaks during the emergency meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Jeddah. (SPA)
Saudi FM Adel al-Jubeir speaks during the emergency meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Jeddah. (SPA)

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir reiterated the Kingdom’s accusations that Iran was still supplying arms and missiles to the Houthi militias in Yemen, adding that it was stoking sectarianism in the region.

"The Iranian regime still continues to smuggle weapons and missiles to the Houthi militias in Yemen with the aim of attacking the Kingdom, its people and its vital interests,” he said during the emergency meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Jeddah on Sunday, which was held upon the request of Saudi Arabia.

The minister said that the firing of Iranian ballistic missiles from Yemen demonstrates that the regime is continuing in its aggressive approach of supporting terrorism and blatant interference in the affairs of regional countries.

He noted that the number of these missiles has exceeded 300, including 90 targeting various regions of the Kingdom, mainly Makkah.

Jubeir explained that the emergency meeting was held to take urgent action against the launch of Iran-manufactured ballistic missile towards Riyadh by the Houthis, which is a violation of the OIC charter and United Nations and international laws and resolutions, especially Security Council resolution 2216.

During a press conference on the sidelines of the emergency meeting, he said in response to a question on whether Iran will be suspended or removed from the OIC: "We are looking into available options, and the decision will not be made at a press conference. Houthis are Iran's tool in Yemen to implement its agenda there just as ‘Hezbollah’ implements its agenda in Lebanon."

He accused Tehran of adopting aggressive and negative policies, inciting sectarian strife, interfering in regional affairs, disrespecting neighborly ties, supporting terrorism and violating international resolutions on the use of ballistic missiles.

“The foreign ministers of the members of the OIC have unanimously agreed, for the second time, to condemn Iran's policy and request that it cease. We will continue to address these hostile policies,” the Saudi minister added.

OIC Secretary General Yousef al-Othaimeen, for his part, condemned the actions of the Houthi militia and its refusal to comply positively to the UN and regional efforts to resolve the Yemen crisis through peaceful means.

He expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia and backed all the actions taken by the Kingdom to protect its territory.



Traffic on French High-Speed Trains Gradually Improving after Sabotage

Workers operate to reconnect the signal box to the track in its technical ducts in Vald' Yerres, near Chartres on July 26, 2024, as France's high-speed rail network was hit by an attack disrupting the transport system, hours before the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. (AFP)
Workers operate to reconnect the signal box to the track in its technical ducts in Vald' Yerres, near Chartres on July 26, 2024, as France's high-speed rail network was hit by an attack disrupting the transport system, hours before the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. (AFP)
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Traffic on French High-Speed Trains Gradually Improving after Sabotage

Workers operate to reconnect the signal box to the track in its technical ducts in Vald' Yerres, near Chartres on July 26, 2024, as France's high-speed rail network was hit by an attack disrupting the transport system, hours before the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. (AFP)
Workers operate to reconnect the signal box to the track in its technical ducts in Vald' Yerres, near Chartres on July 26, 2024, as France's high-speed rail network was hit by an attack disrupting the transport system, hours before the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. (AFP)

Traffic on France's TGV high-speed trains was gradually returning to normal on Saturday after engineers worked overnight repairing sabotaged signal stations and cables that caused travel chaos on Friday, the opening day of the Paris Olympic Games.

In Friday's pre-dawn attacks on the high-speed rail network vandals damaged infrastructure along the lines connecting Paris with cities such as Lille in the north, Bordeaux in the west and Strasbourg in the east. Another attack on the Paris-Marseille line was foiled, French rail operator SNCF said.

There has been no immediate claim of responsibility.

"On the Eastern high-speed line, traffic resumed normally this morning at 6:30 a.m. while on the North, Brittany and South-West high-speed lines, 7 out of 10 trains on average will run with delays of 1 to 2 hours," SNCF said in a statement on Saturday morning.

"At this stage, traffic will remain disrupted on Sunday on the North axis and should improve on the Atlantic axis for weekend returns," it added.

SNCF reiterated that transport plans for teams competing in the Olympics would be guaranteed.