Saudi Arabia Should Change Behavior: Iranian Spokesman
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hossein Jaberi Ansari stressed on Monday that Riyadh was the one that cut its ties with Tehran, and that Saudi Arabia should first change its behavior before any rapprochement between the two countries could take place.
Speaking in his weekly press conference, Jaberi Ansari referred to a recent visit to Tehran by Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, which was said to be mainly aimed at mediating between Tehran and Riyadh.
In his visits to Iran and Saudi Arabia, Sharif raised various issues including Islamabad’s preparedness to mediate between Tehran and Riyadh, the Iranian spokesman confirmed.
“We clearly declared that we support the assistance of friendly countries, but the success of such efforts requires a change in Saudi Arabia’s behavior,” he noted.
“It was Saudi Arabia that severed the ties, and (now Saudi Arabia) should express its preparedness to make a change on that,” Jaberi Ansari said, adding however that Riyadh has yet to send any signal to this end.
The remarks came as a source in the Iranian Foreign Ministry earlier told a Russian news agency that the “ball is in the Saudi court,” and that Tehran is ready for relations with all countries of the region, including Saudi Arabia.
Iran is open to relations with all countries in the region, but it is up to Riyadh to reach out to Tehran, the source in the Iranian Foreign Ministry told Sputnik.
“I can only say that the ball is in the Saudi court, and Tehran is ready for relations with all countries of the region, including Saudi Arabia,” the source added.
The source confirmed that Nawaz Sharif and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani had discussed the issue, and that the latter said he considered attacks against Saudi missions in Iran unacceptable, but Riyadh was blowing the situation out of proportion.
Tensions ran high between Iran and Saudi Arabia in recent weeks mainly due to Riyadh’s execution of prominent Shiite cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, and a subsequent attack by outraged Iranian protesters on the Saudi embassy in Tehran.
On January 2, Saudi Arabia executed Sheikh Nimr, among dozens of others. The execution ignited widespread international condemnation, from both political and religious figures.
The next day, furious demonstrators in the Iranian cities of Tehran and Mashhad stormed Saudi Arabia’s diplomatic buildings in protest at the execution of Sheikh Nimr.
Although Iranian officials criticized the embassy attack and police arrested dozens involved, Saudi Arabia cut off diplomatic relations with the Islamic Republic.