Saudi Arabia calls for dialogue between Washington and Tehran, will not be part of military action against Iran

(Patria) - One of Saudi Arabia's top diplomats said on Wednesday that Riyadh continues to advocate for dialogue and peaceful solutions amid the growing risk of military escalation between the United States and Iran, Al Arabiya reported.

"We believe in dialogue and we believe in resolving all differences at the negotiating table," said Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir.

Al-Jubeir's statements come at a time when Washington and Tehran are exchanging threats after Donald Trump's promise to "strike" Iran hard for violently suppressing protests across the country.

Speaking at the Future Minerals Forum in Riyadh, he said the Kingdom believes that instability does not support development prospects in any region.

"We hope that problems can be resolved in this way."

When asked about the possibility of the collapse of the Iranian regime and what might follow, al-Jubeir gave a sharp response.

"It is truly up to the Iranian people to decide. I don't think I am in a position to tell another country how it should be governed," he said, adding that Riyadh and the whole world are closely monitoring the situation.

Saudi Arabia has informed Tehran that it will not allow its airspace or territory to be used to attack Iran, two sources close to the Kingdom's government told AFP on Wednesday, as Washington threatens Tehran with possible military attacks.

The message was conveyed after the United States warned that it might respond to the actions of the Iranian government, which has cracked down on protests, while Tehran said it would attack US military and shipping assets in the event of a new attack.

"Saudi Arabia has directly informed Tehran that it will not be part of any military action taken against it and that its territory and airspace will not be used for that purpose," a source close to the Saudi military told AFP.

Another source close to the government confirmed that the message was conveyed to Tehran. The United States has military assets in the Gulf, including in Saudi Arabia.