In an interview on Thursday with FRANCE 24, Le Monde and France Culture, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said restoring diplomatic ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia was a priority, but that it was up to Riyadh to take the initiative.
Diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia have been severed since protesters ransacked the Saudi embassy in Tehran following the January 2 execution of Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr in the Gulf kingdom’s Eastern Province.
Speaking to FRANCE 24 in an interview during his historic visit to Paris, Rouhani condemned the attack on the Saudi embassy, but stopped short of offering an apology.
"We condemned this action. Our responsibility was to find the culprits of the attack. We have found them, we arrested them. They are in prison," said Rouhani.
Iran has said that around 100 suspects have been arrested following the Saudi embassy attack.
Saudi Arabia’s moves to cut diplomatic ties “were not proportionate to the incidents”, Rouhani said, adding that the Gulf monarchy was “muddling the game”. “What is certain is that the country that broke off our relations must be the one to try to restore them,” he added.
Escalating tensions between Shiite powerhouse Iran and predominantly Sunni Saudi Arabia have cast a shadow on recent attempts to find a diplomatic solution to the Syrian crisis.
Iran and Russia back Syrian President Bashar al-Assad while the Sunni Gulf states – particularly Saudi Arabia and Qatar – have backed the Syrian rebels.
While both Russia and Syria’s Assad have accused Sunni nations of backing hardline Islamist groups, when asked if he thought Saudi Arabia helped fund terrorism, R... Go on reading on our web site.
Visit our website:
http://www.france24.com
Like us on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/FRANCE24.English
Follow us on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/France24_en
