Riyadh Should Make 1st Move for Detente

A lawmaker said the ball is in Saudis’ court to take action for rapprochement with Tehran, as Riyadh severed bilateral relations.

“Since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, Saudi Arabia has been hostile toward the Iranian nation, a clear example of which was its financial and arms support for former Iraqi dictator, Saddam Hussein, in his aggression against Iran,” Mohammad Javad Abtahi also told ICANA on Wednesday.

Iraq was saved from bankruptcy in its war with Iran (1980-88) by Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, and Saddam’s hope of wiping out the huge debt was a major reason behind the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1991.

Abtahi said Iran and Saudi Arabia need no intermediary to improve their relations, as a detente depends on a real change in Saudis’ behavior in the region.

“I believe that resorting to others, even Oman or Kuwait, will bear no fruit, as we are well aware of Saudi thinking and they are acutely aware of our attitude,” he said.

Saudi Arabia cut diplomatic ties with Iran in January 2016, using as an excuse the attacks on its diplomatic premises by protesters angered over its execution of top Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr without due process of law.