LATEST: “Supreme Leader’s Message to European and American Youth Will Cause Moral Revolution”

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has continued to press the Rouhani Government’s “engagement” with Saudi Arabia, suddenly revived after it had been hindered by hardliners inside Iran and by Saudi caution.

Zarif went to Riyadh on Saturday for a service for King Abdullah, who died early Friday, and President Rouhani sent condolences and congratulations to Abdullah’s successor King Salman.

The Foreign Minister followed up on Sunday, using a joint press conference with Croatian counterpart Vesna Pusic to declare:

We hope that the Saudi government would adopt a good neighborly approach based on the facts on the ground to pave the way for further cooperation in the very sensitive region of the Middle East.

There is no obstacle to cooperation between Iran and Saudi Arabia. The two countries need to come up with a joint solution to regional problems.

Complementing Iran’s support of the Assad regime in Syria — which has faced Saudi support of the opposition — and its challenge to US intervention in Iraq, Zarif said, “We hope that we will be able to establish stability and security in the region by the people in cooperation with neighboring states and without any foreign interference.”

Throughout the winter, the Iranian regime has been denouncing Saudi Arabia. Amid falling oil prices adding to Tehran’s economic crisis. It has accused Riyadh of being part of a “foreign plot” to undermine Iran and the Islamic World. And only 10 days ago, officials were blaming Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud’s statements on Syria for Zarif’s failure to confirm a breakthrough summit in Saudi Arabia.

However, last week before Abdullah’s death, Tehran suddenly shifted. Secretary of the National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani, announcing the willingness to talk on all issues, including oil prices and the regional crises.

“Supreme Leader’s Message to European and American Youth Will Cause Moral Revolution”

Iranian officials have announced that last week’s message from the Supreme Leader to European and American youth will bring “moral and spiritual revolution” in their nations.

Mansour Haqiqatpour, the Vice-Chairman of Parliament’s National Security Commission, explained on Monday, “The Supreme Leader’s message addressed to the European and American youth will result in a moral and spiritual revolution in the heart of the Europe and the US in future.”

He cautioned Western leaders, “The European and US politicians should know that the people will monitor and judge their performances.”

Ayatollah Khamenei used his website, State and semi-official media, and Twitter — with the hashtag #Letter4U — to disseminate his message:

The histories of the United States and Europe are ashamed of slavery, embarrassed by the colonial period and chagrined at the oppression of people of color and non-Christians. Your researchers and historians are deeply ashamed of the bloodsheds wrought in the name of religion between the Catholics and Protestants or in the name of nationality and ethnicity during the First and Second World Wars. This approach is admirable.

He asked youth to read the Qur’an and “ask your intellectuals as to why the public conscience in the West awakens and comes to its senses after a delay of several decades or centuries”.

Saeed Jalili, the former Secretary of the National Security Council and a leading hardline politician, said on Monday, “This letter is a highly valuable start for making the European and US youth aware of the Islamic civilization….What Islam says will be understood through a direct move.”