U.N. disarmament talks begin in bad blood as Iran, Turkey block rivals' participation

"Talks aimed at overcoming a years-long deadlock over disarmament at the United Nations began in acrimony on Monday with two countries blocking rivals from taking part in widely criticized manoeuvers that sparked concern about the forum's future.

Iran blocked Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates from joining as observers, lashing out at the former's military record, while Turkey blocked Cyprus in a trend that marks a significant departure from normal UN protocol and might set a precedent for other bodies that operate on a consensus basis.

Iran's delegate said that Saudi Arabia had used the forum as a platform for a 'distraction and disinformation campaign" and called Riyadh "the largest military offender in the region'.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE, a close ally, intervened in Yemen's war in 2015 to fight the Iran-backed Houthi movement, while Turkey and Cyprus have long been at odds over the breakaway Turkish Cypriot state in the island's north...

Another diplomat called it a 'new low' for the body.

The blockages drew criticism from other members including Britain, the United States, European Union and India.

'If we are going to start picking and choosing then I think this will be the beginning of the end of multilateralism,' Aidan Little, the British ambassador to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, told the virtual meeting. He urged Iran and Turkey to reverse their positions..."