Iran Not at War With Saudi Arabia, Says Pezeshkian; Faults US Bases
Iran's president said Tehran has no dispute with Saudi Arabia or other regional states, blaming US bases for tensions and flagging talks on the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said Tehran is not at war with Saudi Arabia and holds no grievances against other countries in the region, drawing a distinction between those states and the American military presence on their soil.
In an interview in New Delhi, where he had travelled for the weekend's BRICS summit, Pezeshkian said Iran had "no problems" with the United Arab Emirates or any other regional country. The difficulty, he said, lay with US bases hosted by those nations, which he described as being used to attack Iran.
He also stated that Iran is "not at war with Saudi Arabia," adding that Yemen's Houthi rebels "have their own problems" — a remark that appeared to distance Tehran from the group's actions.
The comments come amid continuing tensions across the region.
Pezeshkian further said Arab foreign ministers are due to meet in Oman on Monday to discuss an arrangement concerning the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. According to his account, the meeting is intended to produce a form of agreement on the waterway, with an international maritime organisation set to announce its status.
He said the strait could be opened within internationally established principles, on the condition that the United States ends what he called its blockade and hostile activities.
The remarks, made during his visit to India for the BRICS gathering, place Iran's regional posture and the status of the key shipping channel at the centre of ongoing diplomatic contacts.