Zarif accused Saudi Arabia of "not seeking equal relations with Iran"

The Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran says that Tehran is ready to establish good relations with Riyadh, but claimed that "the Saudi government did not want to have equal relations with Iran."

Mohammad Javad Zarif, who traveled to Moscow, said in a press conference on July 21 that having good relations with neighboring countries is one of "Iran's foreign policy priorities."

According to him, Iran wants relations based on "mutual respect, consideration of each other's interests, and non-interference in each other's internal affairs" with both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Following the attack on Saudi diplomatic facilities in Tehran and Mashhad, Saudi Arabia severed diplomatic relations with Iran in January 2015, and since then, relations between the two countries have been tense.

These tensions reached a peak following drone attacks on the Abqaiq oil facilities and the Khurais oil field in central Saudi Arabia. The United States and Saudi Arabia pointed the finger of blame at Iran, but officials in Tehran denied the claim.

However, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan told Reuters on February 21 that Riyadh was ready to talk to the Islamic Republic, "but this issue actually depends on Iran."

He added that the Islamic Republic must accept that "it can no longer pursue its desires in the region through violence."

Source: Radio Farda