Arab consensus is the deterrent to Iran’s influence: UAE FM

CAIRO –17 November 2017: Foreign Minister of the United Arab of Emirate Anwar Gargash stressed the significance of a unified Arab stance in the face of the current challenges facing the regions.

Through a series of tweets, Gargash contended that “Arab options are clearly explicit in this regard;” adding that Arab consensus is the deterrent to being subjugated to hegemony and over-arching influence by external powers; namely, Turkey and Iran.

“The sectarian narrative that’s cloaked under slogans of resistance does not represent to be an alternative to the Arab position. It is sheer hypocrisy, duplicity, and an attempt to subjugate Arabs to Iranian influence,” Gargash remarked.

On June 5, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Libya and Yemen decided to cut all diplomatic ties with Qatar, hurling allegations that the state supports terrorism and maintaining strong ties with Iran.

The Arab countries listed 13 demands to be met by Qatar, including severing ties with terrorist groups, closing down the pan-Arab Al-Jazeera satellite channel, downgrading ties with arch-rival Iran and the closure of the Turkish air base in Qatar.