RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman on Thursday hoped that Iran will change its “negative” behaviour in the region, after Riyadh accused Tehran of aiding Yemeni rebels in launching deadly attacks on his country.
Salman virtually addressed the kingdom’s advisory Shura Council – top government advisory body – for less than four minutes. He read slowly from a white piece of paper, pausing at times, in a speech broadcast three hours after its initial scheduled time.
During the meeting, King Salman bin Abdulaziz said that his country was concerned about Iran’s lack of cooperation with the international community on its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.
However, the monarch who turns 86 on Friday appeared to soften his hawkish tone towards the Islamic republic, after having urged world powers last year to take a “firm stance” against Tehran.
“We hope Iran changes its policy and negative behaviour in the region, and it heads towards dialogue and cooperation,” he said, adding, “We are following with great concern the Iranian regime’s destabilising policy to security and safety in the region.”
Riyadh and Tehran have been bitter foes for decades, taking opposing sides in a range of regional conflicts, including in Yemen, where Saudi Arabia leads a military coalition against Iran-backed Huthi rebels. The two sides have held several rounds of talks since April aimed at improving relations.
King Salman, however, accused Iran of “establishing and supporting” sectarian and armed groups in the region. “We are also following the Iranian regime’s support of the terrorist Huthi militia, which is prolonging the war in Yemen and exacerbating the humanitarian situation there, as well as threatening the security of the kingdom,” he added.
Yemen has been wracked by civil war since 2014 pitting the government — supported by the Saudi-led coalition — against the Huthis who control much of the country’s north, including the capital Sanaa.
The coalition on Sunday accused Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah group of helping the Huthis launch missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia, where two people were killed last week.
Saudi Arabia has long accused Iran of supplying the Huthis with sophisticated weapons and its Hezbollah proxy of training the insurgents. Tehran denies the charges, while Hezbollah has dismissed them as “ridiculous”.
