RNA - "Saudi Arabia feels that it needs to create tension to promote its policies in the region and it is seeking to spread an atmosphere against Iran that it itself is use to, while it should avoid such delusional policies," Zarif said on Sunday.
Asked if Tehran believes that third party mediation is needed to mend ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia, he said, "We don’t think that there is a need for a mediator."
Yet, he said Iran has never opposed any such mediation, and added, "Iran doesn’t need tension."
He referred to Saudi Arabia's policy of fomenting tensions in the region, including the military aggression against Yemen, and asked, "Has the attack produced any result but insecurity and strengthening the terrorist groups for Saudi Arabia?"
In relevant remarks earlier this week, Zarif underlined that his country favors stability in Saudi Arabia and other regional states, as it also wants to see an end to the war on Yemen.
"We want Saudi Arabia and other Persian Gulf littoral states to stand stable and want the war in Yemen to stop," Zarif said on Wednesday.
He stressed Iran's efforts to prevent the war in Yemen and its termination after it was sparked by Saudi Arabia, and said, "This view has always been and is still in place, but unfortunately, certain countries, specially Saudi Arabia, believe their interests lie in tension," Zarif underscored.
He also reiterated Tehran's stable policy of campaign against extremism, and reminded that "Iran was the first country that condemned Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, even before other Persian Gulf littoral states. Iran was the first country to rush to aid the Iraqi people against terrorism. Iran was the first country which cooperated with the Turkish government at the night of the last year coup".
"We are principally standing against coup and extremism. We oppose extremist moves against Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia or the UAE because we believe these moves are dangerous to the region," Zarif said.
Noting that Iran's efforts to decrease tensions with Saudi Arabia will be fruitless if Riyadh doesn’t move on the same path, he said, "Despite this fact, we pursue our own policy and have shown self-restraint vis a vis the tensions created by the other side. This self-restraint is not a result of lack of plans but it is based on a strategic look at the regional conditions and in line with (our) self-confidence."
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