DUBAI- Jordan has recalled its ambassador in Tehran, citing Iranian interference in the domestic affairs of Arab countries, particularly the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, the Jordanian news agency Petra reported on Monday.
Mohammad Al Moomani, the information minister and spokesperson for the government, said that Jordan had welcomed the nuclear deal signed by Iran and the 5+1 group as a step forward to improving the Arab-Iranian relations based the principles of good neighbourliness, the non-interference in the domestic affairs of other countries and shared action to reinforce regional security and achieve stability.
However, in the period following the agreement, the Iranian government took positions that did not match with the Jordanian aspirations, he said.
The minister charged that Iran and Iranian officials supported deeds and words that amounted to interference in the domestic affairs of Arab countries, particularly the GCC states.
Following the abusive attacks on the Saudi embassy in Tehran and the general consulate in Mashhad, Jordan expressed to the Iranian government and through the Iranian ambassador in Amman its strong protest and deep condemnation of the attacks that violated the Vienna agreement and called for an end to the interference in the internal affairs of other country and for the respect of their sovereignty, he added.
“However, we did not see any response from the Iranian government to our requests or to those of the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation expressed in their statements,” the minister said. Given this reality on the ground, the Jordanian government moved to assess the situation and decided to summon the Jordanian ambassador to Iran for consultations, he added.
Kuwaiti News Agency(KUNA) also reported Dr. Mohammad Al-Moumni the Minister of Information, said in a statement on Monday that the decision was taken after “assessment of the current situation, thus warranting summoning the Jordanian ambassador for consultation.” He added that the Foreign Minister Nasser Jodah instructed the ambassador to return to Amman for renewed consultations, “following suit of brotherly Arab states.”
He said the Iranian government “had taken stances that do not conform to our aspirations. Such meddling in the Arab states’ affairs account to a breach of the good neighborliness principles, aspired by Jordan for dealing with countries neighboring the Arab world.
Jordan has condemned the flagrant attacks on the Saudi embassy and consulate in Iran that were in violation of the Vienna convention on diplomatic ties, he affirmed, noting that Jordan’s calls on Tehran to be cooperative had fallen on deaf ears.
Jordan is the latest Arab country to recall its envoy from Tehran since Saudi Arabia cut ties with the Islamic Republic after angry demonstrators attacked its missions in Tehran and Mashhad.
Source: News Agencies, April 18
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