Irans Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Denies Attacks on Oil Facilities

Iran’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Alireza Enayati, stated that relations between the two countries are “progressing naturally” and that he is in direct contact with Saudi officials.

Enayati denied that Iran was responsible for attacks on Saudi Arabia’s oil infrastructure, saying that if Tehran were behind the strikes, it would have announced it. However, he did not specify who carried out the attacks.

In response to recent attacks on US and Israeli military targets in Saudi Arabia, Enayati stated that Iran is only targeting these areas during the ongoing war. He also reiterated that Iran’s diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia were re-established in 2023, following a deal brokered by China.

Enayati emphasized the importance of regional cooperation, stating that the region has witnessed “exclusionary approaches and excessive reliance on external powers” over the past five decades. He called for deeper ties between Gulf Cooperation Council member states, including Iraq and Iran.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also denied targeting civilian or residential areas in the Middle East, and expressed willingness to form a committee with neighboring countries to investigate the responsibility for such strikes.

Regional sources have reported growing frustration among Gulf nations at the United States’ involvement in the conflict. Enayati stated that resolving the conflict requires the US and Israel to stop their attacks and provide international security guarantees to prevent future aggression.

Experts, including Paul Musgrave, associate professor at Georgetown University, have noted that the administration of former US President Donald Trump has lost leverage in the region and engaged in a conflict without proper planning. Iran’s strategy now appears to focus on “who has the highest threshold for pain”.

Source: Al Jazeera