TEHRAN, August 7, YJC - Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi said the country encourages Saudi Arabia to change its attitude towards the Islamic Republic of Iran.
TEHRAN, Young Journalists Club (YJC) - “If Saudi Arabia can change its policy towards the Islamic Republic of Iran, it will be good. We encourage them to make a shift in their policy towards the Islamic Republic of Iran”, he said in his weekly press conference on Monday.
He expressed hope that Saudi Arabia could correct his past behavior.
“We have always said that we are interested in consultation and mutual understanding with our neighbors.”
Riyadh cut its ties with Tehran in early 2016 after violent protests in front of its Iran-based diplomatic missions against the kingdom’s earlier execution of leading Saudi Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr. It then prevented Iranians from joining the religiously-momentous rituals that year by refusing to set up an ad hoc mechanism enabling their travel to the kingdom.
A year earlier, a deadly human crush had occurred during Hajj rituals in Mina, near the Saudi holy city of Mecca, killing thousands of pilgrims, including hundreds of Iranians.
The incident had also cast doubt on the kingdom’s efficiency in hosting the rituals.
In January, however, Iran said it had been sent an invite by Saudi Arabia announcing the latter’s willingness to host Iranian pilgrims.
Earlier in July, Iran’s Culture Minister Reza Salehi Amiri said Riyadh had provided “written assurances” that it would meet all of Tehran’s conditions with regard to ensuring security for Iranian pilgrims in the upcoming Hajj ceremony.