Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif underlined that Tehran will continue its policy of exercising self-restraint in the face of tensions created by Riyadh. He noted that however, if the Saudi side is reluctant to de-escalate tensions, Iran's efforts to improve mutual ties will get nowhere. Speaking to a Persian-language daily published on Wednesday, Zarif said Iran has remained committed to its pledge of promoting relations with neighboring countries as one of its priorities, Tasnim News Agency reported. "The Islamic Republic wants stability in Saudi Arabia," he told Etemad. The comments came after Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir delivered a hostile speech against Iran at the recent Munich Security Conference in Germany. Ties between Tehran and Riyadh have been strained in recent years after their conflicting stances on regional developments, especially in Syria and Yemen, became more evident.
