JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (AFP) — Saudi Arabia on Wednesday sought to rally support among Islamic nations against arch-rival Iran, demanding “firmness” over attacks on Gulf oil facilities ahead of three summits as regional tensions soar.
Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Assaf blasted Iranian “interference” in the region, just hours after US National Security Adviser John Bolton said Tehran was almost certainly behind oil tanker attacks.
The tough stance comes on the eve of emergency Arab and Gulf summits called by US-ally Saudi Arabia to discuss the standoff and ways to isolate Tehran amid fears of a military escalation.
“Tehran’s support for Houthi rebels in Yemen is proof of Iranian interference in other nations’ affairs and this is something that… Islamic countries should reject,” Assaf told a gathering of foreign ministers of the 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in western Jeddah city.
A representative of Iran attended the gathering of OIC, of which it is a member, an AFP reporter said. But Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif was not present.
Assaf added that attacks on oil installations must be addressed with “firmness and determination.”
Global News 
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