On the brink
The escalation of tensions between Israel and Iran in West Asia has once again brought the region to the brink of conflict.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that he was ready to visit Saudi Arabia to help reduce the ongoing tensions between Riyadh and Tehran if suitable conditions exist, according to reports on Tuesday.
Iran’s top diplomat made the remarks while answering a question posed by Yemen’s Arabic-language al-Masirah news agency on the sidelines of a conference held in Tehran on Monday, Press TV said in the report.
“If suitable conditions are provided, I would be ready to travel to Riyadh to settle differences” between the two countries, Zarif was quoted by ISNA as saying.
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“Tehran welcomes any initiative that aims to ease tensions in the region and will cooperate.
Zarif once again reiterated the Islamic Republic’s policy for supporting the Yemeni people, saying, “Iran will always stand by the Yemeni nation and we believe that the end of the war will first of all help the Yemeni people.”
In his remarks, the Iranian foreign minister said that he is in constant contact with Pakistani PM Imran Khan in relation to developments in Yemen.
Earlier this month, he made an official visit to Tehran and held talks with Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani.
Tensions have been high between Iran and Saudi Arabia since the September 14 attacks that caused fires and damage to an oil processing facility and a production facility, The Express Tribune reported.
Saudi Arabia temporarily halted production at two Aramco oil facilities, interrupting about half of the company’s total output – shutting down 5.7 million barrels per day of production – more than 5 per cent of global oil supply.
The attack was claimed by the Yemeni Houthi rebels, although the US and Saudi Arabia blamed Iran for it, an allegation which has been strongly denied by Tehran.
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