Saudi Arabia offers peace to Iran

Jakarta (Indonesia Window) – King Salman has stated that Saudi Arabia has extended its hands for peace with Tehran and its dealings toward the Islamic regime over decades has been positive and open, according to Arab News.

Saudi Arabia has received Iranian heads of state several times to discuss ways to build good relations, and it welcomed international efforts to address Iran’s nuclear program, he said at the 75th United Nations General Assembly which was virtually held in New York on Tuesday (Sep 22) at local time.

“But again, and again, the whole world has seen the Iranian regime exploiting these efforts in increasing its expansionist activities, building its terrorist networks, using terrorism, and wasting the resources and wealth of the Iranian people to achieve expansionary projects that have only resulted in chaos, extremism and sectarianism,” the king added.

He said Iran’s aggressive approach was demonstrated last year when it targeted of Saudi oil installations in a missile and drone attack that were in flagrant violation of international laws and an assault on international peace and security.

He added that the attacks confirm Iran’s disregard of the stability of the global economy and the security of global oil supplies.

In reference to Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen, the king said Iran continues, ‘through its tools’, to target the kingdom with ballistic missiles, with more than 300 missiles and 400 drones launched toward Saudi Arabia.

“Our experiences with the Iranian regime have taught us that partial solutions and attempts to appease have not stopped its threats to international peace and security,” he said.

Rather, he added, there needs to be a comprehensive solution and a firm international stance that guarantees a radical treatment of the Iranian regime’s pursuit of weapons of mass destruction, the development of its ballistic missile program, its interference in the internal affairs of other countries and its sponsorship of terrorism.

On Yemen, he said the Iranian regime’s interference has led to a political, economic and humanitarian crisis that has brought suffering to the Yemeni people.

He asserted that that interference constitutes a source of threat to the security of the region and its waterways that are vital to the global economy.

King Salman pointed out that the Houthis disrupt humanitarian aid to the Yemeni people, obstruct all efforts to reach a political solution and fail to respond to truce efforts.

The last cease-fire was declared by the Arab coalition fighting to restore the internationally recognized government last April in response to a UN request.

“We affirm that the kingdom will not be complacent in defending its national security, nor will it abandon the brotherly Yemeni people until it regains its full sovereignty and independence from Iranian hegemony,” he said.

The king also said Saudi Arabia would continue to provide humanitarian support to Yemenis, and support U.N. efforts to bring peace to the country.

King Salman said the world had achieved important successes in confronting extremist organizations, including defeating Daesh’s control of lands in Iraq and Syria.

The Arab coalition had also struck important blows to Al-Qaeda and Daesh in Yemen, he added.

Saudi Arabia supported the U.N. International Center for Counter-Terrorism with 110 million U.S. dollars and it established the Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology (Etidal), as well as hosting the International Terrorist Financing Targeting Center.

The king said Saudi Arabia has a responsibility to protect Islam from terrorist organizations, which find a fertile environment to appear in countries experiencing sectarian divisions, weakness and collapse of state institutions.

Reporting by Indonesia Window