Alwaght- Iran's President Hassan Rouhani says Tehran could restore its relations with Saudi Arabia should Riyadh end its military aggression on Yemen and cut its friendship with the Israeli regime.
Speaking at the parliament in Tehran on Sunday when he submitted the country's annual budget, Rouhani said the Islamic Republic would have no problem with Saudi Arabia if it stopped "bowing to Israel" and relied on itself and regional nations.
"Saudi Arabia should suspend it bombardment of Yemen and stop begging for contacts with the Zionist regime," Rouhani said in a speech broadcast live by IRIB state television. "We want Saudi Arabia to stop two things, the misguided friendship with Israel and the inhuman bombardment of Yemen."
Relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia started deteriorating after a deadly human crush during the Hajj rituals in September 2015, when hundreds of Iranian pilgrims among others lost their lives. The stampede, which killed nearly 7000 pilgrims, was blamed on poor Saudi management of the annual pilgrimage.
The situation further escalated a few months later following the kingdom's execution of prominent Shiite cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr.
Riyadh cut off diplomatic ties with Tehran in January 2016 following angry protests in front of its diplomatic premises in the cities of Tehran and Mashhad against the execution.
Elsewhere in his address, the Iranian president referred to US President Donald Trump's recent controversial decision to recognize al-Quds (Jerusalem) as the Israeli regime's capital, saying the move will not go unanswered.
"After regional powers' conspiracy to let terrorist groups dominate the oppressed people in the region was defeated, the Americans today have launched a new plot with the help of the Zionists, which is an aggression on the sacred Quds," Rouhani said.
"We were not, are not and will not be silent in the face of the conspiracies of the big powers, the US, the arrogance and the Zionism," Rouhani pointed out.
