Iran:

S. Arabia Not Moving on Path of Peace

Rasa - Secretary of Iran's Expediency Council (EC) Mohsen Rezayee blasted Saudi Arabia for its unconstructive behavior towards the regional states, adding that the country has lost the way of peace.

News ID: 423182

Date: 03 September 2016 - 18:26

RNA - "Saudi Arabia has frantically burned the bridges behind it and has opted for a situation which doesn’t lead to diplomacy and peace," Rezayee said in the Southern city of Shiraz on Friday evening when asked about relations between Tehran and Riyadh.

Saudi Arabia severed diplomatic relations with Iran on January 3 following demonstrations held in front of its embassy in Tehran and its consulate in Mashhad by angry protesters censuring the Al Saud family for the execution of prominent Shiite cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr in Riyadh on January 2.

Nimr’s execution caused international outrage and sparked anti-Saudi demonstrations in many other countries.

Riyadh has been attempting to rock the boat in relations between Iran and other world states and has spared no efforts to pressure Tehran.

Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) claimed in April that Mahan Air was banned due to alleged violations of local safety rules. The GACA claimed in a statement that several violations related to airline safety had been committed by Mahan Air.

Immediately after the announcement, Director of Civil Aviation Organization Reza Jafarzadeh said Iranian airlines had never tried to land or make any request to fly in the Saudi airspace.

In a statement at the time, Jafarzadeh said Saudi authorities should explain why they claim they have withdrawn licenses given to Mahan Air to land in the Persian Gulf kingdom or fly in its airspace over ‘safety’ claims.

“No Iranian airline, including Mahan Air, has ever asked to land in Saudi Arabia or fly in its airspace. Iranian airlines have stopped their flight services to Saudi Arabia altogether. It just doesn’t make any sense for the Saudis to question the safety of Iranian jet airliners,” he added.

This is while trade between Iran and Saudi Arabia has mostly been small and each year only Iranian pilgrims travel to the kingdom for the Hajj pilgrimage.

Also in April, Ground Force Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Brigadier General Mohammad Pakpour said Saudi Arabia is masterminding terrorist attacks on the Islamic Republic by training and funding terrorist groups along the borders.

Speaking to reporters, Pakpour said Iran has arrested terrorists that have confessed to their affiliation to Saudi Arabia and some other Persian Gulf Arab states.

Pakpour said Riyadh is striving hard to make Iran insecure, and added, "Right now, countries like the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are engaged in organizing and equipping these groups but the reason why no terrorist act is committed is due to our preparedness."

Iran in August invited Saudi Arabia to detente and calm with regard to the developments in the region which have increased Tehran's clout and influence, and warned Riyadh of possible tough reactions against its hostile measures.

"Iran doesn’t need to interfere in other countries' internal affairs and it respects their territorial integrity and sovereignty in these countries. If certain developments have happened in Iraq that have increased Iran's weight in the region compared with Saudi Arabia, it is not a result of Iran's interest in imposing its hegemony, but the result of natural developments in the region," Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi said.

"If Saudi Arabia cannot bear these developments, it is not our fault. Saudi Arabia is more stuck in in illusions than realities and we hope that it can overcome this symptom and start constructive interactions with its neighbors, specially Iran, which will benefit them, the region and the world," he added.

Stressing that Iran has shown much patience with the developments in the region and believes in peaceful behavior towards countries which are living with their dreams, Qassemi, meantime, warned that any country had a limited degree of patience and tolerance.

Also in the same month, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif underlined that the inappropriate behavior and words of the Saudi leaders and their wrathful approach towards Iran is no sign of power, but a result of their weakness and lack of self-belief.

"Today we see words and behavior from the Saudi rulers which are not appropriate; these are not because the Saudis are in a powerful position but they are a result of weakness and lack of self-belief," Zarif said, addressing a conference in Tehran.

He reiterated that Iran is one of the main regional powers, and said, "Regional security is very important to our system and Iran's policies are based on non-interference in other countries' affairs."

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