Iran: Saudi rejection of Tehran ties show kingdom’s destructive policies

Iran says the Saudi deputy crown prince’s remarks against the Islamic Republic are proof that the kingdom follows “confrontational and destructive policies” in the region and towards Tehran.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi was reacting on Wednesday to comments made by Mohammed bin Salman, who rejected the possibility of normalization of ties with Iran.

“Over the past years, Iran has shown in words and deeds that it endeavors towards utilizing common ground to reach understanding and cooperate with all regional countries,” Qassemi said.

He added that unity in the Islamic world towards resolving the crises in the region is of utmost importance to Iran.

The spokesmen went on to stress that these crises all result from foreign interference and extremist Takfiri terrorism which has roots in Saudi-backed Wahhabism.

Wahhabism is the radical ideology dominating Saudi Arabia, freely preached by government-backed clerics there, and inspiring terrorists worldwide. Daesh and other Takfiri terror groups use the ideology to declare people of other faiths as “infidels” and then kill them.

On Tuesday, Salman, who is also Saudi Arabia’s defense minister, ruled out ties with Iran after Tehran announced the possibility of de-escalation of tension if Riyadh halted its war against Yemen.

He stressed that talks with Iran were impossible as Tehran’s goal was to “control the Muslim world.”

On Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the Islamic Republic was ready to normalize ties with Riyadh if the Kingdom halted its bombardment of Yemen and stopped supporting extremist groups.

Saudi Arabia has been incessantly pounding Yemen since March 2015 in an attempt to bring back to power the resigned president, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, who is a staunch ally of Riyadh, and to undermine the Houthi Ansarullah movement. The Riyadh regime has, however, failed to reach its goals despite suffering great expense.

The military aggression has claimed the lives of more than 12,000 people, most of them civilians.