The United Nations has expressed concern that the crisis between Saudi Arabia and Iran could jeopardise diplomatic efforts to end the conflicts in Syria and Yemen, where Tehran and Riyadh back opposing sides.
The UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, expressed his concern during a telephone conversation on Tuesday in New York with Saudi Foreign Minister, Abel al-Jubeir, and his Iranian counterpart, Mohammad Javad Zarif.
According to Stephane Dujarric, spokesman to Ban, the UN Scribe told al-Jubeir that breaking off diplomatic ties with Iran was “deeply worrying”.
He stressed that continued dialogue was in the interest of the region and beyond.
Ban said the phone calls were to ensure the continued support of both countries for the peace process in Syria.
He stressed the need to ensure that the diplomatic crisis does not cause a chain of adverse consequences in the region.
Dujarric said UN Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, was on his way to Riyadh and would also visit Iran later this week to assess the implications of the recent developments.
Meanwhile, Abdallah-bin Yahya al-Moallimi, Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to the UN, said his country was committed to the Syrian peace process and that the diplomatic crisis with Iran would have “no effect” on those efforts.
Al-Moallimi said: “We will attend the next Syria talks and we are not going to boycott them because of Iran or anybody else.”
Al-Moallimi also defended the trials and subsequent executions, saying they were internal matters under Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty.
He said criticisms stipulating that the trials had been unfair were “misinformed”.
In Washington, White House spokesman, Josh Earnest, urged all sides to show restraint and not inflame tensions.
dpa/NAN.
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