TEHRAN, March 11 (UPI) -- Arab leaders have made unwelcome gestures toward Iran, which has been a staunch supporter of its Arab neighbors, a former president said.
Former President Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, now the chairman of the Iranian Assembly of Experts, criticized recent condemnations of Iranian activity in the region, adding that regional leaders should unite against a common enemy in Israel, the Fars News Agency reports.
Officials in Saudi Arabia called for solidarity against what they described as Iranian meddling in the region, a criticism raised frequently by U.S. and Iraqi officials.
Rafsanjani said the opposition was reminiscent of the diplomatic mood following the Islamic Revolution of 1979, when Arab leaders described Iran as a top threat to the region. The cleric, who was nominated to his second term in office this week, said an anti-Iranian stance "could be dangerous for all regional states."
Rafsanjani wrapped up a trip to Iraq last week, meeting with top clerics in the holy city of Najaf. His visit was met with some opposition, however. Several lawmakers in Baghdad blamed the former president for pushing Iraq to the brink of civil war.
