DHAHRAN (Dispatches) -- Lebanon and Iraq have supported Iran at a preliminary foreign ministerial meeting of an Arab League summit in this Saudi city.
The representatives of Beirut and Baghdad opposed an anti-Iran provision in a preliminary statement issued at the end of the meeting that accused Iran of interfering in Arab affairs.
The reactions came as the Saudi government sought to align members against Iran.
On Sunday, Saudi Arabia’s King Salman opened a summit of Arab leaders by accusing Iran of terrorist acts and blatant interference in the internal affairs of Arab countries, without making any reference to missile strikes by Western powers on Syria.
Saudi Arabia and its allies expressed support for the strikes on Saturday, but Iraq and Lebanon have condemned them. Other countries like Jordan and Kuwait refrained from taking a position.
Qatar did not send a senior official to the summit in a sign that its 10-month dispute with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt is still a long way from being resolved.
The four countries severed diplomatic and transport ties with Doha in June 2017, accusing it of supporting terrorism. Doha denies the charges and says the boycott is an attempt to impinge on its sovereignty.
President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem al-Quds as the so-called capital of Israel and his plan to move the U.S. embassy to the occupied city had also been weighing down on the summit’s agenda.
Riyadh has refrained from condemning the move as well as the Israeli carnage of Gazans during "March of Return” protests which began about three weeks ago as the kingdom has secretly established links with the Zionist regime.
The event was originally slated to be held in Riyadh, but the venue was relocated to Dhahran after Yemeni troops and Ansarullah fighters targeted the Saudi capital with missiles.
