US Secretary of State John Kerry, on a visit to Saudi Arabia, yesterday sought to reassure Gulf countries concerned about a perceived warming of ties between Washington and Iran.
He also announced that the Syria Support Group of 20 nations and organisations will meet “very shortly” to help push peace in the war-ravaged country.
Kerry spoke in Riyadh after meeting his Saudi counterpart Adel al-Jubeir and other foreign ministers from the six-nation Gulf Co-operation Council.
“The US remains concerned about some of the activities that Iran is engaged in other countries,” Kerry told reporters, citing as an example Iran’s “support for terrorist groups like Hezbollah” in Lebanon.
Saudi Arabia and its Gulf neighbours perceive a lack of US engagement in the region, particularly in the face of what they see as Iran’s “interference” in Yemen, Syria, Lebanon and elsewhere.
Those feelings crystallised with the historic international deal which this month lifted crippling economic sanctions on Iran in return for a scaling back of its nuclear capabilities.
Kerry has long sought to calm concerns among Gulf states about the overtures to Iran whose relations with Saudi Arabia have worsened this month.
Saudi Arabia and some of its allies cut diplomatic ties with Iran after protesters there burned Riyadh’s embassy in Tehran and a consulate in the second city of Mashhad.
The violence occurred after 47 people convicted of terrorism were executed in Saudi Arabia.
Jubeir told reporters that he did not see a “coming together” of the US and Iran.
“Iran remains the world’s chief sponsor of terrorism,” he said, adding that Arab states are ready “to confront” Iran’s interference.
“Overall I think the US is very aware of the danger of Iran’s mischief and nefarious activities... I don’t believe the US is under any illusion as to what type of government Iran is”, Jubeir added.
A senior State Department official earlier told journalists that the US understands Saudi anger over the embassy attack but “lessening tensions is an important objective”.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday said violence against the Saudi embassy was wrong, and against Islam.
Kerry later met with King Salman and the monarch’s son, Deputy Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman, who is also the defence minister.
He will also hold talks with Riad Hijab, Riyadh-based general co-ordinator of Syria’s largest opposition coalition, ahead of UN-brokered peace talks.