The leaders of Iran and Saudi Arabia spoke by phone on Wednesday to unite in support of the Palestinian people – their first communication since agreeing to end seven years of hostilities earlier this year.
Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi discussed “the need to end war crimes against Palestine,” according to Iran’s state news agency.
The crown prince, better known as MBS, said his country was “communicating with all international and regional parties to stop the ongoing escalation” started by Hamas terrorists who killed more than 1,300 people in Israel on Oct. 7, according to Saudi state news agency SPA.
Despite the horror of the unprecedented Hamas attack, the Saudi government reiterated its “firm government position in support of the Palestinian cause,” SPA added.
MBS also reiterated Saudi Arabia’s refusal to target civilians in any way, SPA said.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman had been exploring diplomatic ties with Israel at the behest of President Biden’s administration before last week’s Hamas terrorist attack. VIA REUTERS
The call marked the first communication between the men since March, when they agreed to restore diplomacy between Riyadh and Tehran under a deal negotiated by China.
Iran is a long-time supporter of Hamas, but it has denied involvement in Saturday’s brutal attack coordinated by the terror group that rules the Gaza Strip.
Saudi Arabia and Israel were close to establishing historic diplomatic ties at the time of Saturday’s attack following years of diplomatic pressure by the US to thaw relations between the Jewish state and its Arab neighbors.
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Iranian President Raisi and Mohammad resumed diplomatic ties earlier this year in a deal brokered by China. Raisi’s government is a supporter of Hamas, which is considered a terrorist organization by US.ZUMAPRESS.com
A senior US State Department official said Washington, which strongly supports Israel in its fight against Hamas, is also “in constant contact with Saudi leaders.”
The official added that the US is asking its partners with channels or connections to Lebanon-based Hamas, Hezbollah or Iran “to ask Hamas to stop its attacks, release the hostages, keep Hezbollah out (and) keep Iran out of the fray. .”
MBS, 38, also spoke with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday to convey his “relentless efforts” to coordinate “the cessation of the current escalation.”
Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, on Thursday.AP
A similar message was delivered to French President Emmanuel Macron by the crown prince.
MBS told Macron his government does not support “targeting civilians or disrupting vital infrastructure and interests that affect their daily lives,” according to a Saudi Foreign Ministry readout.
The call comes as President Biden faces pressure from some Republicans to stop Iran’s oil exports, which could lead to a spike in gas prices around the world.
“I think it’s time for us to consider with our friends in Israel to affect Iran’s oil economy,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) told WSPA-TV Monday. “If there is an escalation of this war, I urge the Biden administration and Israel to jointly make a plan to destroy Iran’s oil infrastructure.
“Without oil, they have no money. Without money, terrorism loses its greatest benefactor.”
With Postal wire
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
