Iran ready for Saudi talks amid dispute

Iran yesterday showed signs that it was willing to hold talks with Saudi Arabia amid a dispute between the two countries, triggered by Saudi Arabia’s execution of a dissident Shia cleric that set off diplomatic fallout across the globe.“We want friendship, brotherhood and good relations with all countries of the region,” Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said.The Saudi government should contribute constructively to a common and serious fight against Islamic State, he said, referring to the terrorist militia active in Syria and Iraq.Rouhani also demanded that the “criminals” who attacked the Saudi embassy in Tehran be put on trial.“The attackers are criminals whose illegal and un-Islamic act damaged the international reputation of Iran,” Rouhani told a weekly cabinet meeting.Saudi Arabia broke off diplomatic relations with Iran on Sunday, angered by Tehran’s vehement criticism and the weekend storming of its embassy in the Iranian capital.Demonstrators in Tehran attacked the Saudi embassy on Saturday, the same day that the Saudi government announced the execution of 47 people, including the Shia cleric, for convictions on terrorism-related charges.Earlier yesterday, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said all countries in the region should unite together, especially in the fight against current threats of terrorism.“Iran wants no tension in the region and would always welcome dialogue with its neighbours,” Zarif said at press conference in Tehran.Zarif said he regretted and condemned the attack on the Saudi embassy, adding that 50 people had already been arrested in connection with the violence.Shia Iran and Saudi Arabia back opposite sides in civil wars in Yemen and Syria.The current row between Saudi Arabia and Iran is their worst since 1988 following deadly clashes between Saudi security forces and Iranian pilgrims, prompting a three-year severance of ties between Riyadh and Tehran.Meanwhile, Iraq dispatched its foreign minister to Tehran yesterday with an offer to mediate in rising tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran, reflecting Baghdad’s fears that new sectarian conflict could unravel its campaign against Islamic State. Iraq, where a Shia-led government is urgently trying to reach out to minority Sunnis as it seeks to retake territory controlled by Islamic State militants, is particularly vulnerable to any upsurge in anger between the Muslim sects. Powerful Iran-backed Shia militia called on Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi -- a Shia who has staked his credibility on efforts to reconcile with Sunnis -- to shut a Saudi embassy that reopened only last month after decades of strained ties.