Riyadh: Alireza Enayati, Iran's ambassador to Saudi Arabia, said on Thursday that Iran remained appreciative of Saudi Arabia’s commitment not to allow its airspace or territory to be used against the Islamic Republic during the ongoing conflict with the United States and Israel.
Speaking to Agence France-Presse (AFP), Enayati said Iran valued Saudi Arabia’s repeated assurances that its airspace, waters and territory would not be used for attacks against Iran.
Before the war began, Riyadh had supported diplomatic initiatives aimed at easing tensions between Tehran and Washington and had pledged that its airspace would not be used for strikes on Iran, AFP reported.
Enayati also rejected Saudi allegations that Iran had targeted the US embassy in Riyadh with drones earlier this week. Saudi authorities had claimed that the diplomatic compound was attacked, triggering a fire.
Saudi Arabia has frequently accused Tehran of launching missile and drone attacks on its territory and has warned that it reserves the right to defend itself, including through retaliation.
Iran had previously denied targeting the sprawling Ras Tanura Refinery, one of the largest refineries in the Middle East, which Saudi officials said had been struck twice by drones. Enayati reiterated that Iran had no role in that incident either.
The ambassador told AFP that Iran had confirmed it was not involved in the attack on the US embassy in Riyadh. He added that if military operations were carried out by the command in Tehran, Iran would openly acknowledge responsibility.
The conflict in the Middle East has drawn the otherwise stable Gulf region into escalating tensions after Iran launched retaliatory strikes following US and Israeli attacks that killed its supreme leader. Iran has since targeted Israel and other locations across the region.
According to reports, at least 13 people have been killed in Gulf countries since Iran began its strikes on Saturday, including seven civilians.
However, Enayati maintained that Iran was not pursuing a regional war in response to the attacks by the US and Israel, telling AFP that the conflict had been imposed on the region rather than initiated by Iran.