Categories: Foreign PolicyMiddle EastSelected

Iran rejects OIC statement as ‘unacceptable’

Iran has dismissed as “unacceptable” the recent statement by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), saying it runs counter to principles of the UN Charter, the OIC Charter and international law.

“The Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s success in following up its objectives and priorities depends on solidarity, cooperation and coordination among members and not in their face-off,” Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hossein Jaberi Ansari said on Friday.

He added that the OIC statement was issued with lack of consensus among the organization’s member states.

In a statement issued at the end of an OIC emergency meeting in the Saudi port city of Jeddah on Thursday, the organization backed Saudi Arabia in its weeks-long diplomatic spat with Iran, accusing Tehran of supporting terrorism and interfering in other countries’ affairs.

Saudi Arabia had called for the OIC emergency meeting to discuss the recent diplomatic row with Tehran following the January 2 execution of prominent cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr in Riyadh.

Saudi Arabia severed diplomatic relations with Iran on January 3 following demonstrations held in front of the Saudi embassy in Tehran and its consulate in the northeastern city of Mashhad by angry protesters censuring the Al Saud family for the killing of Sheikh Nimr.

Jaberi Ansari said the Jeddah meeting was convened with the aim of supporting Saudi Arabia’s state terrorism.

He added that the OIC statement overlooked the existing realities pertaining to Iran’s swift action against the perpetrators of the incidents and focused on pursuing the “objectives of a specific country.”

The Iranian spokesperson noted that the OIC has been founded to strengthen cooperation among Muslim countries to contribute to liberation of the occupied Palestinian territories.

“Given the continuation of Palestine’s occupation, inhuman blockade of the Palestinians and growing threats of Takfiri extremism and terrorism against international peace and security, the hasty and irresponsible measure by the Saudi government to insist on the emergency meeting and issue a statement lacking consensus have intensified divisions among [OIC] members and undermined the Organization of Islamic Cooperation,” Jaberi Ansari pointed out.

Iran expressed regret that Saudi Arabia overlooked the OIC objectives, principles and priorities as well as rights of the members in the Jeddah statement, he said.

He added that Iran emphasizes that such measures are aimed at supporting sectarianism and warmongering policies as well as backing Saudi state terrorism.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran, in line with its fundamental policy, expresses its readiness for interaction to settle mutual issues with Saudi Arabia and stresses the importance of Riyadh’s return from its wrong policies … to the path of moderation, wisdom and dialog along with mutual respect,” he said.

Jaberi Ansari called on all OIC member states to improve their interaction in dealing with issues of Muslim nations and prepare the ground for the liberation of the occupied Palestine.

In an address to the OIC emergency meeting in Jeddah on Thursday, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Abbas Araqchi also criticized the OIC for remaining silent on the main issues facing the Muslim world.

“It is regrettable that this organization [OIC] is silent about the major challenges of the Muslim world, particularly [the issue of] Palestine, but hastily reacts to the attack on Saudi Arabia’s embassy in Tehran,” the senior Iranian diplomat said.

Emad Askarieh

Emad Askarieh has worked as a journalist since 2002. The main focus of his work is foreign policy and world diplomacy. He started his career at Iran Front Page Media Group, and is currently serving as the World Editor and the Vice-President for Executive Affairs at the Iran Front Page (IFP) news website.