UAE condemns Iran's 'offensive' missile programme

UAE's Anwar Gargash tweeted on Monday that the Arab League took an important step by condemning Tehran’s 'destabilising' actions in the Middle East

(L to R) Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, Bahrain Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid Bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa and UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash (R) attend a meeting with Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit (2nd-R) at the Arab League headquarters in the Egyptian capital Cairo on November 19, 2017.
Arab foreign ministers gathered in Cairo at Saudi Arabia's request for an extraordinary meeting to discuss alleged "violations" committed by Iran in the region. / AFP PHOTO / KHALED DESOUKI
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The UAE denounced on Monday Iran's missile programme, an issue Arab countries plan to address with the UN security council president.

Dr Anwar Gargash, UAE’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, on Monday tweeted that the Arab League took an important step on Sunday by condemning Tehran’s destabilising actions in the Middle East.

“Iran’s missile programme with its offensive nature emerging as a disruptive tool undermining the region’s instability. Repeated targeting of Saudi civilian facilities attest to this,” he said.

“Furthermore, Iran’s proxy, Hizbollah, is playing an outsize role in undermining regional stability. Hizbollah actions and rhetoric are a major source of instability in the Arab world.”

Dr Gargash’s statements follow remarks made by foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain that Iran is intervening in the affairs of Arab countries.

The Arab League meeting comes after a missile was intercepted near Riyadh's international airport on November 4 claimed by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. Meanwhile, Bahrain said that Iran was behind the oil pipeline explosion this month.

Riyadh and Tehran have for decades stood on opposing sides of conflicts in the Middle East, including in Yemen and Syria — where Iran-backed Hizbollah militiamen are fighting alongside forces loyal to Syrian president Bashar Al Assad.

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