CAIRO: Top Arab diplomats rallied behind Saudi Arabia on Sunday in a dispute with Iran that has threatened to derail efforts to resolve Middle East conflicts including the war in Syria.
Iran meanwhile said Saudi Arabia was seeking to undermine talks to end the Syrian conflict, an accusation Riyadh fiercely rejected.
The UN envoy to Syria said he believed the dispute -- which has seen tensions between the Sunni and Shiite regional rivals reach new heights -- would not hurt efforts to bring Syria's warring parties together later this month.
After meeting in Cairo for emergency talks requested by Riyadh, Arab League foreign ministers issued a joint statement denouncing the "hostile acts and provocations of Iran" in the dispute.
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir also rejected Tehran's claims it was using the dispute to back away from international efforts to finally end Syria's nearly five-year civil war.
Saudi Arabia and Iran back opposing sides in the conflict, with Riyadh supporting rebel groups and Tehran behind President Bashar al-Assad.
Both countries had joined international talks launched in Vienna last year that backed an 18-month plan to end the conflict and foresees further talks on January 25.
"We have previously stated our support for the Syrian opposition and for efforts to find a peaceful solution in Syria," Jubeir said.
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