World

Iran Accuses Arab Royalty of Hypocrisy over Syria

Ahmadinejad says leaders want standard of openness in Syria they don't apply to themselves.

|

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has rapped the Gulf Arab monarchies for seeking reforms in Syria without applying the same standards of openness for themselves.

Iran's Press TV quoted Mr. Ahmadinejad as saying in Makkah on the sidelines of a summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) that he "was surprised in this summit [to see] that the kings of some countries were speaking against Syria while the majority of their own people do not want them [to rule]."

The Iranian President made the comment on Wednesday during a meeting with his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul. Rejecting double standards, Mr. Ahmadinejad said that he was "of course waiting to see when these reforms will reach the other countries in the region".