Saudi Arabia says firm stand needed to deter Iran, Iraq demurs
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MECCA, Saudi Arabia - Saudi Arabia's King Salman told an emergency Arab summit on Friday that decisive action was needed to stop Iranian "escalations" following attacks on Gulf oil assets, as U.S. officials said a military deployment had deterred Tehran.
The right of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to defend their interests after the attacks on oil pumping stations in the kingdom and tankers off the UAE were supported in a Gulf Arab statement and a separate communique issued after the wider summit.
Tehran denies any involvement in the attacks and in a sign of regional tensions, Iraq, which has good ties with neighbouring Iran and Washington, said it objected to the Arab communique, which stated that any cooperation with Tehran should be based on "non-interference in other countries".
"The absence of a firm deterrent stance against Iranian behaviour is what led to the escalation we see today," King Salman told the two consecutive meetings late on Thursday.
The ruler of the world's top crude exporter said Shi'ite Iran's development of nuclear and missile capabilities and its threats on world oil supplies posed a risk to regional and global security.
