Iranian Interference Takes Center Stage at Arab Ministers Meeting

Meeting of Arab Quartet Ministerial Committee on Iranian intervention in Riyadh on Thursday/SPA
Meeting of Arab Quartet Ministerial Committee on Iranian intervention in Riyadh on Thursday/SPA
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Iranian Interference Takes Center Stage at Arab Ministers Meeting

Meeting of Arab Quartet Ministerial Committee on Iranian intervention in Riyadh on Thursday/SPA
Meeting of Arab Quartet Ministerial Committee on Iranian intervention in Riyadh on Thursday/SPA

Iranian meddling in the affairs of Arab countries took on Thursday the center stage at the meetings of Arab foreign ministers aimed at preparing the draft agenda and draft resolutions of the 29th Arab League summit to be held in Dhahran on Sunday.

During the meetings, ministers of the League's 22 member states said Iran and terrorism are two sides of the same coin, adding that Arab states should work together to stop Iran from meddling in their affairs.

Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit condemned Iranian interference in Bahrain and other Arab countries.

He said there is an Arab consensus on the unity of Syrian territory, adding that a political solution is the best way to resolve the crisis.

For his part, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir, who chaired the meetings, asserted that his country neither accepts nor tolerates terrorism and Iranian interference, stressing that there is no peace and stability in the region as long as Tehran meddles in the internal affairs of Arab countries.

The Saudi minister added that Iran is supplying the Houthi militias in Yemen with Iranian-made ballistic missiles, stressing that this act reflects Tehran's adoption of terrorism as a way to destabilize security and stability in Yemen.

Also on Thursday, an Arab Quartet Ministerial Committee on Iranian intervention in Arab affairs condemned continued Iranian meddling.

The committee, which consists of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Egypt and the Secretary General of Arab League, said in a statement following its 8th meeting in Riyadh that it was deeply concerned over Iran's efforts to incite sectarian violence in Arab countries, including Tehran’s support and arming of terrorist militias in some Arab countries, resulting in chaos and instability in the region, which in turn threatens Arab national security.



32 Killed in New Sectarian Violence in Pakistan

Police officers stand guard near their vehicles during a protest by Pakistani Shiite Muslims against an attack on passenger vehicles in Kurram, in Dera Ismail Khan District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan, 22 November 2024. EPA/SAOOD REHMAN
Police officers stand guard near their vehicles during a protest by Pakistani Shiite Muslims against an attack on passenger vehicles in Kurram, in Dera Ismail Khan District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan, 22 November 2024. EPA/SAOOD REHMAN
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32 Killed in New Sectarian Violence in Pakistan

Police officers stand guard near their vehicles during a protest by Pakistani Shiite Muslims against an attack on passenger vehicles in Kurram, in Dera Ismail Khan District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan, 22 November 2024. EPA/SAOOD REHMAN
Police officers stand guard near their vehicles during a protest by Pakistani Shiite Muslims against an attack on passenger vehicles in Kurram, in Dera Ismail Khan District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan, 22 November 2024. EPA/SAOOD REHMAN

At least 32 people were killed and 47 wounded in sectarian clashes in northwest Pakistan, an official told AFP on Saturday, two days after attacks on Shiite passenger convoys killed 43.

Sporadic fighting between Sunni and Shiite Muslims in the mountainous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan has killed around 150 over the past months.

"Fighting between Shiite and Sunni communities continues at multiple locations. According to the latest reports, 32 people have been killed which include 14 Sunnis and 18 Shiites," a senior administrative official told AFP on condition of anonymity on Saturday.

On Thursday, gunmen opened fire on two separate convoys of Shiite Muslims travelling with police escort in Kurram, killing 43 while 11 wounded are still in "critical condition", officials told AFP.

In retaliation Shiite Muslims on Friday evening attacked several Sunni locations in the Kurram district, once a semi-autonomous region, where sectarian violence has resulted in the deaths of hundreds over the years.

"Around 7 pm (1400 GMT), a group of enraged Shiite individuals attacked the Sunni-dominated Bagan Bazaar," a senior police officer stationed in Kurram told AFP.

"After firing, they set the entire market ablaze and entered nearby homes, pouring petrol and setting them on fire. Initial reports suggest over 300 shops and more than 100 houses have been burned," he said.

Local Sunnis "also fired back at the attackers", he added.

Javedullah Mehsud, a senior official in Kurram said there were "efforts to restore peace ... (through) the deployment of security forces" and with the help of "local elders".

After Thursday's attacks that killed 43, including seven women and three children, thousands of Shiite Muslims took to the streets in various cities of Pakistan on Friday.

Several hundred people demonstrated in Lahore, Pakistan's second city and Karachi, the country's commercial hub.

In Parachinar, the main town of Kurram district, thousands participated in a sit-in, while hundreds attended the funerals of the victims, mainly Shiite civilians.