RIYADH – Minister of Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir said here on Saturday the Kingdom and the GCC countries are in the process of getting a resolution issued in the Security Council condemning the Iranian aggression. "We are working with the international community to expose the real face of Iran, and that the method it has been following for the past 35 years is unacceptable. We are looking for additional measures that can be taken against Iran if it continues in its current policy. Matters will be clearer after the passage of time," Al-Jubeir said in a joint press conference with GCC Secretary General Dr. Abdullatif Al-Zayani at King Salman Airbase Airport in Riyadh following the conclusion of the 42nd GCC ministerial council meeting. He said the GCC held a wide-ranging discussion on the Iranian aggression against the Kingdom's embassy in Tehran and its consulate in Mashhad. It also discussed the hostile Iranian policies in the region, its continued interference in the affairs of the region's countries aiming at destabilizing them and undermining their security. The meeting came out with a common vision towards these Iranian aggressions. As regards the Iranian Foreign Ministry receiving an invitation from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to attend a meeting called for by the Kingdom, Al-Jubeir said Iran is a member of the OIC. If the Kingdom has requested for convening an OIC extraordinary meeting to discuss the attacks against the Saudi embassy in Tehran and consulate in Mashhad, the organization sends invitations to all the members. The objective of such a meeting is to determine the stance of the Muslim countries and that such acts are unacceptable and rejected by international law, Vienna conventions and the OIC charter. Al-Jubeir said that he expects the OIC to take a firm stance, the way the GCC did. He expressed his hope that the Arab League will take a tough stance on the Iranian attacks on the Saudi embassy and consulate and its interference in the affairs of the region's countries or supporting terrorism. As to the Arab League meeting tomorrow (Sunday), Dr. Al-Zayani said the GCC countries' stance is clear in the statement issued by the 42ndGCC ministerial council meeting. This stance is the one that will be discussed with the Arab brethren in the Sunday meeting. As to Iranian interference in the affairs of the Kingdom, Al-Jubeir said: "Iran interfered in our internal affairs and that of the neighboring countries as well. It carried out several acts against us and against the neighboring countries. It provides shelter to those who carry out terrorist acts. All negative and hostile acts are supported by Iran. This has been the case for the past 35 years since the Iranian revolution in 1979. Therefore, since the occurrence of this revolution, Iran started adopting a sectarian agenda to divide the countries and peoples. These acts are unacceptable. The stance taken by the Kingdom along with its allies is to say: "Enough!" Therefore, the Kingdom cannot accept such acts including the torching and ransacking of the Saudi or British embassy or other embassies. Iran supports the killing of innocent people and interferes in the local and internal affairs of other countries. And it expects all to deal with it in a normal way. This is illogical. Therefore, Iran must take a decision – either it acts as a state or as a revolution. If it is a state, then it must act likewise and with pragmatism such that other countries can deal with it. But if it acts as a revolution, it will be difficult or impossible to deal with them. A revolution does not have logic. It functions according to emotions. We welcome the opportunity to see Iran as a normal and peaceful state that does not interfere in the affairs of the region's countries. It should not support terrorism. All this is in its hands, if it wants to become a good neighboring country. But if it continues its actions in this hostile atmosphere against the region's countries, I believe that the majority of the Muslim and Arab countries have rejected these Iranian steps. They have taken steps to reconsider their relations with Iran." Speaking about the crisis with Iran not affecting the efforts for reaching peaceful negotiations in Syria and Yemen, Al-Jubeir said that the Kingdom will continue working with the countries participating in the Vienna meetings to reach a solution according to the principles of Geneva 1 to create an interim government council that will lead to a new Syria in which Bashar Al-Asad has no role. He also said that they support the stance of the Syrian opposition in the absence of that process. As to Yemen, Al-Jubeir said there is the GCC initiative, Yemeni dialogue and UN Security Council resolution 2216 calling for moving towards a peaceful solution. He added: "We will continue our support for the Yemeni legitimate government regarding maintaining its influence and expanding it as well. The crisis caused by the Iranian attack will not affect these issues. Iran carried out a negative role in Yemen and Syria. It supported the Houthis with money, machinery and personnel and it is continuing this. We stopped a number of Iranian ships carrying weapons to be delivered to the Houthis. This is a negative role being carried out by Iran in Yemen. As to Syria, all know that Iran is sending its Republican Guard to protect Al-Asad. It has deployed its army as well as Hezbollah militia to support Bashar Al-Asad, who has killed over 250,000 Syrian nationals and displaced many others. This Iranian role in Syria and Yemen is very negative and we hope Iran will be able to change its policy."
