Saudi, UAE slam Qatar for rejecting outcome of Mecca talks on Iran

Saudi Arabia criticized Qatar on Monday for rejecting the outcome of recent Mecca talks on regional tensions with Iran, while the UAE accused Doha of “backtracking” on the summits’ conclusions.

Doha, which attended the three meetings in the holy city, said on Sunday it rejected the outcomes as it had not been properly consulted, AFP reported. Qatar’s foreign minister said on Sunday that the concluding statements of the summits “were ready in advance and we were not consulted on them.”

“Qatar has reservations on the Arab and Gulf summits because some of their terms are contrary to Doha’s foreign policy,” Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani told the Al-Araby broadcaster.

The statements at the summits “condemned Iran but did not refer to a moderate policy to speak with Tehran,” Al-Thani said in remarks reported by Al Jazeera television.