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Jordan King: Saudi Arabia Draws Red Lines for Iran’s Regional Activities

Jordan's King Abdullah speaks during a session at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. (photo credit: REUTERS/ARND WIEGMANN)
Jordan's King Abdullah speaks during a session at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. (photo credit: REUTERS/ARND WIEGMANN)
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Jordan King: Saudi Arabia Draws Red Lines for Iran’s Regional Activities

Jordan's King Abdullah speaks during a session at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. (photo credit: REUTERS/ARND WIEGMANN)
Jordan's King Abdullah speaks during a session at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. (photo credit: REUTERS/ARND WIEGMANN)

Jordan’s King Abdullah II said on Thursday that Saudi Arabia was assuming a positive role in the Middle East and was drawing “red lines” for Iran’s worrying activities.
 
During a discussion session with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos, King Abdullah stressed that King Salman bin Abdulaziz was leading an unprecedented proactive Saudi role in the Middle East.
 
As for Iranian interference in Arab affairs, he said: “The Saudi policy is to say: the red lines are here.”
 
King Abdullah pointed to Tehran’s meddling in a number of Arab countries, warning of its exploitation of militias and its use of religion in regional conflicts.
 
He added that Saudi Arabia was not the only country concerned about Iran’s destabilizing activities, but also all states in the region, “especially after we saw the repercussions of these policies in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Lebanon.”
 
The Jordanian monarch said he did not believe that Iran would change its foreign policy, which was adopted decades ago.
 
“We believe in Jordan that dialogue is the best way to solve problems, but the policy of Iran poses major challenges in Syria, Lebanon and Yemen,” he noted, emphasizing his concern about the future of Lebanon, which has suffered significantly during the past decades.
 
“We do not want these (Iranian) trends to create new problems inside Lebanon,” he stated.
 
On Jerusalem, the Jordanian monarch said that the Palestinians no longer see the United States as a fair mediator after Washington announced its decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and to transfer its embassy to it.
 
In this regard, he reiterated his commitment to resolve the issue of Jerusalem within the framework of a comprehensive solution between Israelis and Palestinians.
 
“The hiccup at the moment is, out of tremendous frustration; the Palestinians don’t feel the United States is an honest broker, but in the same time, they are reaching out to the Europeans, and I think, to me, that is a signal that they do want peace,” King Abdullah said.
 
“We cannot have a peace process… without the role of the United States,” he said, adding: “None of us know what the [US] plan is.”
 
King Abdullah underlined the importance of Jerusalem for all religions and its central role among Muslims, Christians and Jews. He pointed out that Jerusalem should be viewed as a “city of hope” that brings people together.

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Khamenei: Iran Doesn’t Have Proxies in the Region

Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei meets a group of elegists and eulogists in Tehran
Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei meets a group of elegists and eulogists in Tehran
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Khamenei: Iran Doesn’t Have Proxies in the Region

Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei meets a group of elegists and eulogists in Tehran
Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei meets a group of elegists and eulogists in Tehran

Iran’s supreme leader denied Sunday that militant groups around the region functioned as Tehran’s proxies, warning that if his country chose to “take action,” it would not need them anyway.
Ali Khamenei told a group of elegists and eulogists in Tehran, “They keep saying that the Islamic Republic has lost its proxy forces in the region! This is another mistake. If one day we want to take action, we do not need a proxy force,” according to his website.
Khamenei then attacked the United States and its ally Israel over developments in Syria, and hinted at internal criticism of Iran's regional role.
“Their plans in Syria led to unrest and chaos, and now the United States, the Zionist regime, and their allies, feeling victorious, have resorted to extravagant claims and nonsensical talk, like the followers of devil,” he said.
The Iranian leader then quoted an American official as saying that Washington will “provide assistance and support to anyone causing unrest in Iran.”
Such statements, he said, are an example of the enemies’ boastful rhetoric. “The Iranian nation with their strong steps will trample underfoot any US mercenary who accepts this role,” he added.
Khamenei then addressed the Israelis saying, “You Zionists haven’t won; you’ve been defeated. Yes, you were able to advance a few kilometers in Syria where there wasn't even one soldier with a gun to stop you. That’s not victory. Indeed, the courageous, devout, young people of Syria will definitely expel you from there.”
He added, “You wretched people! Where have you won? Have you won in Gaza? Have you destroyed Hamas? Have you freed your own prisoners? Is this victory to kill over 40,000 people without being able to achieve even one of your goals? Despite killing Hassan Nasrallah, have you managed to eliminate Hezbollah in Lebanon?”
Khamenei also affirmed that Iran has not lost its proxies in the region.
“Iran doesn’t have proxy forces. Yemen fights due to their faith. Hezbollah, Hamas and Islamic Jihad fight because their beliefs compel them to do so,” he said.
IRGC commander Hossein Salami, five days after Assad's fall, had denied that Iran had lost its regional arms. “Some suggest the Iranian regime has lost its arms, but this is not true. The regime still has its arms,” he said.