Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman: We Are Not Seeking Increased Tension with Saudi Arabia

On Monday, May 15, the spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry stated, "Iran is not seeking to increase tensions with Saudi Arabia." Bahram Qasemi emphasized, "We hope they realize their mistakes and take steps to rectify past errors." Qasemi made these remarks a day after announcing that Tehran is ready for bilateral talks with Riyadh if Saudi Arabia stops its "anti-Iranian statements and policies." He had previously expressed this position in an interview with 'Al-Arabi Al-Jadid', a Qatari newspaper published in London. Qasemi also stressed that "dialogue and understanding with any country does not mean endorsing its actions or all its behaviors." According to Qasemi, "Saudi Arabia has also made strategic mistakes, especially in the region, and must rectify them." He reiterated that "Iran opposes any form of tension and warmongering," stating, "The region cannot bear violence and needs poverty alleviation and development." Iran's readiness for dialogue with Saudi Arabia comes as Saudi Arabia is set to host Donald Trump on Saturday, May 20, during his first foreign trip. On Friday, General Herbert McMaster, the U.S. National Security Advisor, stated at a White House press conference regarding Trump's upcoming trip to the Middle East and Europe that "Mr. Trump will encourage regional countries during his visit to take serious steps to counter Iran, ISIS, Al-Qaeda, and Bashar al-Assad's government, which are factors of chaos and violence in the region." Concurrently, King Salman of Saudi Arabia has sent official invitations to the leaders of 17 Muslim-majority countries to meet and discuss with Donald Trump in Riyadh. Leaders from Jordan, Algeria, Turkey, Yemen, Nigeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Pakistan, and Iraq are among those invited. In response to Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia, Bahram Qasemi noted that the Riyadh summit is a topic that "its peripheral issues will make Riyadh more sensitive." The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson also "recommended" the U.S. President not to fall into new traps in the region, as he stated, "The consequences will be felt by the U.S. government in the future." Trump is expected to hold separate meetings with members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, the King of Saudi Arabia, and other Muslim leaders during his two-day visit to Riyadh. Simultaneously, a senior White House official told Reuters that negotiations between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia regarding a package of arms contracts worth over $100 billion are in their final stages. According to this report, the timing of these arms deals is set to coincide with Donald Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia. Bahram Qasemi, the spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry, also referred to Iran's complaint against Saudi Arabia to the United Nations, stating, "Iran's position is clear, and we hope such statements are not repeated as they will have adverse consequences for them." Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince and Minister of Defense of Saudi Arabia, recently stated in an interview that Riyadh will not wait for war to enter Saudi Arabia and is working to bring the battle to Iran. This Saudi official accused Iran of seeking "access" to Mecca as the center of the Islamic world, adding that negotiating with a government that awaits the emergence of Mahdi and dominance over the Islamic world is impossible. The Saudi official's remarks were met with reactions from Iranian officials. The Iranian Foreign Ministry described these statements as "a clear document for pursuing Saudi Arabia's tension-inducing policies" in the region. Iran's ambassador to the United Nations also referred to Mohammed bin Salman's remarks in a letter to the UN Secretary-General as "an open threat" and "an admission of collaboration with terrorist groups inside Iran." Relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia have faced various ups and downs over the decades. In recent years, these relations have soured further, with the execution of a Shia cleric in Saudi Arabia and attacks on Saudi diplomatic missions in Tehran and Mashhad escalating tensions. Following the attacks on the Saudi embassy and consulate in Tehran and Mashhad, Riyadh severed diplomatic relations with Tehran. Saudi Arabia and several of its allied countries in the region have accused Iran of interfering in Arab countries' affairs. Iran has denied these accusations. Riyadh and Tehran support opposing sides in the Syrian civil war and the battles in Yemen.