Iran criticizes US as root cause of Iran-Saudi Arabia conflicts
Iran’s parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani has censured the United States as the root cause of conflicts between the Islamic Republic and Saudi Arabia rebuking Washington for blocking settlement of disputes between the two Middle Eastern countries.
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Larijani made the remarks in a meeting with President of Austria’s Federal Council Ingo Appé in the Serbian capital of Belgrade on the sidelines of the 141st assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).
“Iran is not opposed to the settlement of issues between Iran and the Saudis but the Americans do not allow [that to happen] because they [the Americans] are benefiting from such conflicts,” the top Iranian parliamentarian said.
Larijani also said that the US is a major factor behind Tehran-Riyadh tensions.
The top Iranian parliamentarian further blamed Washington for the chaotic situation in the region, saying the Americans attempted to use Takfiri terrorists as a tool in the service of their own goals, but in vain.
“Since the start of the Yemeni and Syrian issues, I announced that political dialog should be held but some countries refused to accept [the idea],” Larijani said.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Larijani stressed the importance of enhancing Tehran’s relations with Vienna, particularly in political, economic, cultural and scientific sectors.
For his part, the president of Austria’s Federal Council expressed concern over the developments unfolding in the region, particularly Turkey’s incursion into northeastern Syria and the crises in Yemen and Libya.
He also said his country welcomes any opportunity to build trust between Iran and Saudi Arabia.
Appe added that Iran plays a leading role in promoting stability in the Middle East, highlighting the significance of dialog to solve regional issues.
He criticized the US’s move to withdraw from the landmark 2015 nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), saying preserving the accord is the only way to maintain global security.
The senior Austrian parliamentary official expressed hope that the US would change course and begin to pursue a wise policy vis-à-vis Iran.
The US unilaterally withdrew from the Iran deal in May 2018 and unleashed the “toughest ever” sanctions against the Islamic Republic in defiance of global criticism in a bid to strangle the Iranian oil trade.
In response to the US acts, Tehran has so far rowed back on its nuclear commitments three times in compliance with articles 26 and 36 of the JCPOA as the Europeans failed to uphold their end of the bargain by protecting Iran’s economy against the American bans.
The Iranian Parliament speaker also on Tuesday commended the establishment of “serious trust” between Iran and Russia, saying the two countries have succeeded in making great progress in bilateral negotiations.
In a meeting with Valentina Matviyenko, the chairwoman of Russia's Council of Federation, Larijani urged world leaders to build more confidence among them in an attempt to properly deal with Trump’s misbehavior on the international scene.
The Russian senator, for her part, said Moscow pursues a principled stance on Iran and is against the JCPOA’s collapse.
Matviyenko, whose country is a signatory to the multilateral nuclear deal, added that Moscow has firmly and explicitly condemned America’s unilateral sanctions against Tehran.
