Saudi Arabia urges Iran not to interfere in domestic affairs

ISTANBUL (AA) – Speaker of the Saudi Shura Council, Abdullah bin Muhammad Al-Sheikh, has called on regional rival Iran to cooperate and adhere to the principle of non-interference in the affairs of other countries.

This came during a meeting of the heads of the Shura Councils of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in the Omani capital, Muscat, according to Saudi media.

"The kingdom calls on Iran, as a neighbor whose people we have religious and cultural ties, to cooperate with the countries of the region by adhering to the principles of international legitimacy," he said.

He added that Riyadh calls on Tehran “not to interfere in the domestic affairs of other countries, to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency, and to fulfill its obligations in this regard."

Saudi Arabia and Iran severed their diplomatic relations in 2016 following an attack on the Saudi Embassy in Tehran after Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr was executed by Saudi authorities.

Their relationship further nosedived after Iran in September 2016 accused Riyadh of deliberately causing the death of around 400 Iranian pilgrims in a 2015 stampede in the Muslim holy city of Mecca.

The two sides have since been engaged in a strong regional rivalry, often accusing each other of waging a proxy war for regional influence.