Iran’s president: both diplomacy, military power needed in face of threats
Iran’s president said his country doesn’t seek confrontation with Saudi Arabia.
Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani says Tehran is seeking to solve regional problems through negotiation and not confrontation. In a live interview with Iran’s state TV on Nov. 28, besides domestic issues, Rouhani addressed the crises in the region and other foreign policy matters.
In a reference to Tehran-Riyadh ties, Rouhani said, “We have improved relations with [most] countries of the region — except for a couple of countries. Today, we have better relations with Turkey, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Qatar. We may have problems with a couple of countries such as Saudi Arabia, which they have fanned.”
He added, “Saudi Arabia is looking for tension with Iran to cover up defeats in the region and internal problems. The domestic issues of Saudi Arabia, disagreements and turbulence are serious problems. They want to portray a country as their enemy to hide their internal problems.”
Rouhani said, "The problems of the region must be resolved through dialogue instead of confrontation."
