In Davos, Gulf Arabs slam an absent Iran

DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - Gulf Arab officials used the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday to slam Iran for what they said was its destabilizing behavior in the region, taking advantage of Tehran’s conspicuous absence at the annual event.

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif attends a meeting with Belgian counterpart Didier Reynders (unseen) at the Egmont Palace in Brussels, Belgium January 11, 2018. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir

Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif had been a regular presence at the annual forum that brings together top politicians, CEOs and bankers and he often clashed with his Gulf Arab counterparts at competing sessions.

But this year, he did not show.

As a result, the platform was wide open for Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain to criticize Iran, as well as more measured criticism from others.

Iran, the leading Shi‘ite Muslim power, and Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia, a key U.S. ally, are rivals for influence in the Middle East where they support opposing sides in Yemen, Syria, Iraq and Lebanon.

“In the Middle East, we have two competing visions. Vision of light ... and we have a vision of darkness, and the vision of darkness is sectarianism, it’s trying to restore an empire that was destroyed thousands of years ago, it’s using sectarianism and terrorism in order to interfere in the affairs of other countries,” Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told a panel at the forum.

“History has shown that light always prevails over darkness.”