Zarif and Iranian President Hassan Rouhan “forwarded public and private messages to Saudi Arabia after the elections expressing readiness for dialog and laying the grounds for regional stability and confronting violence and extremism”, he said.
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The memo says there are trade and investment opportunities for Canada in the Gulf region because its economies are “diversifying into areas of Canadian strength, including financial, education, health care services, agriculture, as well as infrastructure”. Launching the agreement would be the culmination of almost two years of intense negotiations among Iran, the USA and other world powers. Mohammed al-Nimr, the sheikh’s brother, said people planned to hold a funeral Thursday for the cleric, though Saudi authorities already buried his corpses in an undisclosed cemetery.
In the capital Tehran, protesters condemned the Saudi execution by chanting slogans against the Kingdom, the United States and Israel, which they referred to as “allies” and “supporters” of the Saudi rulers.
“Ultimately, solutions to problems in this region must come from leaders in this region”, Kirby added.
“The real trick is to find a way to send him [Al-Jubeir] back happy without giving him anything that would upset his Iranian counterpart”, also said the commentator.
“The effect of this political tension on the oil market will be short-term and the market will calm down when it sees the oil supply is secured”, he was quoted as saying by the oil ministry’s news agency Shana. However, analysts said that such fears have now gone away.
Pressed on whether the United Kingdom treated the Saudi regime “with kid gloves” because of the importance of the economic and security relationship, he said: “It is much more complicated than that”.
Crude prices rose in Asia after Saudi Arabia cut diplomatic ties with Iran following Tehran’s condemnation of the Kingdom’s execution of Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr and protesters’ attacks on the Saudi embassy in Tehran.
His death has led to the cutting of diplomatic ties between Saudi Arabia and mainly Shi’ite Iran, and has heightened tensions in the Gulf.
There are signs, however, that the tension may be starting to abate.
“By refusing to condemn these executions and parroting the Saudis” propaganda, labelling those killed as “terrorists’, Mr Hammond is coming dangerously close to condoning Saudi Arabia’s approach”.
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“UK military personnel are not directly involved in Saudi-led Coalition operations, we are offering Saudi Arabia advice and training on best practice targeting techniques to help ensure continued compliance with International Humanitarian Law, we support Saudi forces through longstanding, pre-existing arrangements and will consider any new requests”, a spokesperson from the MoD said. The U.N. intends to launch an initial meeting on the plan with the Syrian government and opposition this month.
