Iran condemns instrumental use of OIC by very few

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, Gholamhossein Dehqani, lashed out at some member states abusing the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to achieve their own foreign policy objectives.

The Iranian diplomat made the remarks addressing the Annual Coordination Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the OIC Member States held at United Nations Headquarters, on the sidelines of the ongoing 73rd session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 73).

"A very few are using their money to turn this important Organization into an appendix of their own foreign policy," Dehqani said referring to Saudi Arabia and the UAE which have been abusing the OIC in the past couple of years to issue anti-Iran statement.

Saudi Arabia even abstains from issuing visa for Iran diplomats when the meetings of the organization are hosted by the kingdom.    

In the opening of his address, Dehghani voiced Iran's concern over the unilateral policies of the US under the Trump Administration and urged the OIC member states to join to the large block of nations opposing US unilateralism and defy the unjust sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran.

He then warned about the consequences of extremism growing in the current world asserting that US military presence in the region, occupation of Palestine and financial support of some countries for hate ideology of terrorist.

He then condemned the Saudi-led coalition which is bombarding "desperate civilian population" in Yemen with arms and weapons provided by the US.

Saudi Arabia has been striking Yemen since March 2015 to restore power to fugitive president Mansour Hadi, a close ally of Riyadh. The Saudi-led aggression has so far claimed the lives of at least 17,500 Yemenis, including hundreds of women and children.

Besides the US, the UK and France have also been providing weapons and intelligence to Saudi Arabia and the UAE over the course of the unprovoked war.

EA