Tehran raps as “contradictory” US-Arab Camp David statement

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman has denounced as “contradictory” a recent statement released by the United States and the (Persian) Gulf Cooperation Council at Camp David.

On Friday, Marzieh Afkham said that the Camp David joint statement exposed the contradiction in the words and deeds of the US and its regional allies.

“Unfortunately, such actions as launching a foreign military attack on Yemen and disregarding its territorial integrity and the US support for this aggression not only contravene international laws, but also run counter to some of the contents of the Camp David statement,” Afkham stated.

The emirs of Qatar and Kuwait as well as the crown princes of the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, and Saudi Arabia traveled to the US for a meeting with President Barack Obama at the White House on May 13 and at Camp David, Maryland, on May 14.

The leaders stressed that “there is no military solution to the regions’ armed civil conflicts, which can only be resolved through political and peaceful means; respect for all states’ sovereignty and non-interference in their internal affairs; the need for inclusive governance in conflict-ridden societies; as well as protection of all minorities and of human rights,” read the joint statement released following the meetings on Thursday.

This is while the statement contradictorily supported the Saudi aggression against the Yemeni people, with Washington vowing “to use all elements of power… including the potential use of military force” in an alleged attempt to defend the Persian Gulf Arab monarchies against “external threats.”

Afkham also rejected allegations about Iran’s destabilizing role in the Middle East as mentioned in the statement, saying the realities of the region bear proof of the falsity of such claims.

Iran has never advised a military solution to any of the regional conflicts, she said, adding that those states that attack the infrastructure of their neighboring country and endanger the peace and stability of the region are in no position to pass judgment on others.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman expressed Tehran’s readiness to negotiate and cooperate with the Persian Gulf Arab countries, calling on them to stop their accusatory tone towards Iran and adopt “confidence-building measures.”

The Iranian diplomat also called on all the intentional and regional sides to focus their efforts on fighting the growing threat of Takfiri terrorist groups in the region.

Saudi Arabia started its military aggression against Yemen - without a UN mandate - in a bid to undermine the Houthi Ansarullah movement, which currently controls the capital and other major provinces, and to restore power to the country's fugitive former president, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, who is a staunch ally of Riyadh.

According to Yemen's Freedom House Foundation, the Saudi airstrikes have claimed the lives of nearly 4,000 Yemeni people so far while more than 6,887 others have been wounded. 

IA/FNR/AS/MHB

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