Parliament Speaker Larijani:

U.S. Not Letting Saudis Resolve Issues With Iran

Date: 16 October 2019 - 22:18

News ID: ۷۱۸۰۳

TEHRAN (Dispatches) – Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani says Iran is not opposed to resolving problems with the Saudi Arabia, but the Americans do not and will not give the Saudis such a chance.
He said the Americans are benefiting from tensions between Tehran and Riyadh, adding the United States in fact is a major cause of the problem.
He made the statements in a meeting with his Austrian counterpart Ingo Ape on the sidelines of 141st session of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly which is underway in the Serbian capital Belgrade.
Larijani also held talks with Vice President of the German Parliament (Bundestag) Claudia Roth, during which they called for an end to militarism in Syria and Yemen and stressed the need for a political settlement of the conflicts wreaking havoc in the two war-torn Arab states.
Larijani reaffirmed Tehran’s opposition to a Turkish military offensive in northern Syria, saying the incursion would lead to "massacre and displacement and only further complicate Syria’s problems,” he said.
Larijani further censured the European Union’s failure to take meaningful action against the Turkish offensive.
"The EU’s role cannot be limited to simply giving advice,” said the Iranian speaker, calling on European Union member states, especially Germany, to play a more active role in efforts to resolve the crisis.
Roth voiced Germany’s "deep concerns” over Turkey’s military operation in northern Syria, warning that the incursion has already given rise to an influx of refugees into neighboring Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region.
Reacting to Larijani’s remarks on the EU’s role, Roth said that the 28-nation bloc has urged Russia to put pressure on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan over the incursion and sought an end to arms sales to Ankara.
She criticized Erdogan for threatening to "flood” Europe with refugees if the continent insists on constraining Ankara’s military action, adding that Iran could help resolve the refugee issue.
Claudia further highlighted the importance of political efforts to settle the crisis in Syria, saying the country’s newly formed constitutional committee needs to be empowered in order to help find a peaceful solution out of the conflict.

‘Iran Ready for Mediation in Yemen’

Elsewhere, the two sides exchanged views on an ongoing Saudi-led military campaign against Yemen as well as heightened tensions in the Persian Gulf region.
Larijani renewed Tehran’s call for an end to the military campaign against Yemen and said that if Saudi Arabia embraces a political solution, "Iran will mediate in the Yemen issue.”
The parliament speaker also said that Iran is committed to ensuring security in the Persian Gulf.
Regarding the tensions in the Persian Gulf, he said "the problem lies with other regional states.”
Larijani said Iran has proposed the Hormuz Peace Endeavor (HOPE) to facilitate regional dialog and cooperation free from any foreign military presence in the Persian Gulf region.
Roth expressed concern regarding the tragic humanitarian situation in Yemen.
The German Bundestag vice president also welcomed Pakistan’s recent initiative to mediate between Riyadh and Tehran aimed at decreasing regional tensions.

Iraqi Hospitability
Separately, Larijani highlighted close bonds between the Iranian and Iraqi nations, describing the Arab country’s hospitality during the Arba’een season as a clear example.
In a meeting with chairman of Iraq’s Foreign Relations Parliamentary Committee Sherko Merwaes, Larijani said Iranian and Iraqi nations have always stood by each other.
Highlighting Iran’s support for democracy in Iraq, Larijani said certain countries have been opposing calm and security in Iraq, adding that the recent violent unrest in the Arab country was a plot.
For his part, the Iraqi lawmaker stressed the need for the expansion of "deep” relations with Iran in various political, economic and cultural fields.
Last month, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei highlighted religious commonalities between the Iranian and Iraqi nations and said the enemies’ conspiracies to sow discord between the two countries have been thwarted.