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Iran sets condition to welcome Saudi Arabia with open arms

October 3, 2019 at 4:07 am

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (not seen) meet in Moscow, Russia on 2 September 2019 [Dmitri Chirciu/Anadolu Agency]

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has set a condition to welcome Saudi Arabia.

According to Russia Today, Zarif stated: “We will receive Saudi Arabia with open arms if the Saudi authorities realise that they cannot provide security by just buying arms, and handing over their sovereignty to others.” Zarif went on, “Tehran works to reach understandings with neighbouring countries and does not seek tension.”

Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Adel Al-Jubeir, also responded to Zarif’s suggestions that Riyadh to Tehran could normalise relations and pursue a ceasefire in Yemen.

Read: Iran repatriates 1,800 artefacts from University of Chicago

Al-Jubeir tweeted: “What an Iranian spokesman said about messages sent from Saudi Arabia to the Iranian regime is inaccurate. What actually happened was that several brotherly countries called for calming the tension, and we told them that the kingdom’s stance is always focused on seeking security and stability in the region.”

Over the past week, Iran has welcomed any mediation on the settlement with Riyadh.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Al-Moussawi welcomed, on Monday, the efforts and mediations to resolve the dispute with Saudi Arabia. However, suggested that the Saudi state is not willing to do this. “Tehran will be ready to overcome tensions with Riyadh when Saudi Arabia shows a willingness to do so,” Al-Moussawi said.