Saudi Arabia denies Iran mediation

By Ahmed al-Masri

DOHA (AA) - Saudi Arabia has denied reports about seeking mediation with regional Shia rival Iran.

An official Saudi source said Wednesday that the current Iranian regime "cannot be negotiated with".

"Saudi Arabia has not requested any mediation in any way with the Republic of Iran," the source said in a statement cited by the official SPA news agency.

The denial came after Iraqi Interior Minister Qassim al-Araji said Riyadh has officially asked for Iraq's mediation to ease tension with Tehran.

The Saudi source renewed accusations against Tehran of "spreading terrorism and extremism".

The source reiterated the Saudi "adherence to its firm position that rejects any rapprochement with the Iranian regime which is spreading terrorism and extremism in the region and the world and is interfering in the affairs of other countries.”

He went on to call on all world countries "to work to deter the Iranian regime from its hostile actions and compel it to comply with the international law.”

Tensions have mounted between Saudi Arabia and Iran since Riyadh cut diplomatic ties with Tehran after Saudi diplomatic missions were attacked early last year by Iranian protesters.

The attacks were prompted by the execution of a prominent Shia cleric in Saudi Arabia for terror offenses.

Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies accuse Tehran of arming and supporting Yemen’s Shia Houthi group that overran the Yemeni capital Sanaa and other parts of the country in 2014.

The six-year-old conflict in Syria has also contributed to the deterioration of Gulf-Iranian relations. While Shia Iran is a close ally of the regime of Syria's Bashar al-Assad, Saudi Arabia is a primary backer of Syria’s anti-regime armed opposition.