UAE Says Iran is Main Obstacle to Arab peace

The Foreign minister of the United Arab Emirates says Iran's "hostile and expansionist policy" is the major obstacle to solving all crises in the Arab world.

Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan accused Iran of interfering in the internal affairs of other countries and supporting "terrorist groups," including Shiite Houthi rebels in Yemen and Hizbullah, the Lebanese group fighting alongside Syrian government forces.

He told the U.N. General Assembly's annual ministerial meeting on Friday that Iran is also supporting "terrorist groups and cells" in Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait.

Al Nahyan said "Iran has not only committed blatant violations of the principles of sovereignty, but also continues to exploit the crises in the Arab world to undermine regional security by inciting and fueling conflict."

He said Iran must realize that the best basis "for a harmonious relationship with the states in the Arab Gulf" is to respect the sovereignty of countries in the region.

The UAE along with Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Bahrain cut all ties to Qatar in June, accusing it of supporting extremism and being soft on Iran.

The Emirati minister told the General Assembly: "We have a clear choice with no alternative: to stand against terrorism in all manifestations and to stand against all perpetrators without exception."