TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif underlined that the Islamic Republic does not consider Saudi Arabia as its enemy, expressing the hope that Riyadh would “come to its senses” in dealing with Tehran.








“We do not see ourselves in a state of hostility and antagonism with Saudi Arabia,” Zarif told reporters in the Swiss city of Davos on the sidelines of the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF), referring to recent tensions between Iran and Saud Arabia.

“As I have said before, we believe that Saudi Arabia has been agitated following Iran’s nuclear deal and make provocative moves,” he said.

“We hope that they (Saudi officials) come to their senses as soon as possible and we witness their rational behavior,” the Iranian top diplomat noted.

Tensions ran high between Iran and Saudi Arabia in recent weeks mainly due to Riyadh’s execution of prominent Shiite cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, and a subsequent attack by outraged Iranian protesters on the Saudi embassy in Tehran, which resulted in the Arab country’s decision to sever its ties with the Islamic Republic.

On January 2, Saudi Arabia announced that it has executed Sheikh Nimr, among dozens of others. The execution ignited widespread international condemnation, from both political and religious figures.

The next day, furious demonstrators in the Iranian cities of Tehran and Mashhad stormed Saudi Arabia’s diplomatic buildings in protest at the execution of Sheikh Nimr.

Although Iranian officials criticized the embassy attack and police arrested dozens involved, Saudi Arabia cut off diplomatic relations with the Islamic Republic.

By Tasnim News Agency