Iranian President Hassan Rouhani made a statement today, in which he emphasized the focus of the Islamic Republic on constructive relations with its neighbors. "Stability, security and the campaign of a genuine fight against terrorism, as well as the relations of friendship and brotherhood with all the countries of the region are the main objectives of the foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran," he noted.
Rouhani called the execution of Shiite preacher Nimr al-Nimr in Riyadh "a mistake, a manifestation of tyranny, and a pointless human rights violation" and urged Saudi Arabia to "recognize its past mistakes and not to aggravate them even more." "The Islamic world and all who value freedom, the entire Iranian nation, the Iranian leadership, are saddened, and they condemn this heinous crime against a religious leader," TASS quoted him as saying.
The President drew attention to the historically friendly relations between the peoples of the two countries and expressed his regret about the attempts by Riyadh "to sow discord between Shiites and Sunnis, incite Iranophobia and create a negative image of Iran in the world public opinion."
