Jan 27 (Reuters) – Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian that Riyadh would not allow its airspace or territory to be used for military operations against Tehran, state news agency SPA reported on Tuesday.
In a phone call with Pezeshkian, the crown prince confirmed Saudi Arabia’s support for any “efforts to resolve differences through dialogue” to enhance security and stability in the region.
Earlier, Iranian media reported that Pezeshkian told bin Salman that Tehran welcomed any process to prevent war within the framework of international law.
The statement by Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler followed a similar statement by the United Arab Emirates that it would not allow the use of its airspace or waters for any military action against Iran.
Uncertainty over the possibility of military action against Iran has lingered after U.S. President Donald Trump said last week that a “fleet” was heading toward Iran but that he hoped he would not have to use it.
Trump warned Tehran against killing protesters or restarting its nuclear program, but nationwide demonstrations have since subsided.
A U.S. aircraft carrier and support warships have arrived in the Middle East, two U.S. officials told Reuters on Monday, expanding Trump’s ability to defend U.S. forces or potentially take military action against Iran.
Iran has been embroiled in protests where rights groups say security forces have killed thousands of people, including bystanders. Rights groups called the unrest the largest crackdown since Shiite Muslim clerics took power in the 1979 revolution. Iranian authorities blame the unrest and deaths on “terrorists and rioters” supported by their exiled rivals.
(Reporting by Jaidaa Taha, Menna Alaa El-Din and Parisa Hafezi; Editing by Gareth Jones and Lisa Shumaker)
