Playing the role of potential mediator in the Saudi-Qatar conflict, Iran has called for Europe to also use its influence.
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif addressed a forum in Berlin on Monday and proposed a new regional dialogue forum for the Gulf countries.
The speech came a day after Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani expressed support for Qatar in a phone call with Emir Tamim.
In late May, Saudi Arabia and the UAE cut ties with Qatar, imposed an air and land blockade, and expelled Qatari diplomats and citizens. Other countries such as Bahrain, Egypt, and Libya soon followed.
Riyadh accuses Doha of cyber-operations, propaganda through outlets such as Al Jazeera, and support for “extremists” including the Muslim Brotherhood and Palestine’s Hamas.
While Iranian officials — notably the Supreme Leader — have stepped up their rhetorical battle with the Saudis, the approach of Rouhani and Zarif points to an avoidance of confrontation with Riyadh. Instead, Iran will join Turkey in supplying food to Doha and will portray itself as a peacemaker.
Zarif also used his Monday speech to try to turn pressure against the Saudis and other foes of the Islamic Republic, saying that those who blame Iran or Qatar for terrorism are trying to divert attention from their own failures: “One day it’s Iran, today it’s Qatar. It’s an attempt to evade responsibility, escape accountability for this very fundamental…failure of the state system to address, to respond to the demands of its populus.”
He specifically pointed to arms sales to states such as Saudi Arabia: “When foreign policy becomes a commodity, then purchasing military equipment becomes your yardstick for measuring who is a terrorist or who isn’t a terrorist.”
In late May, during a trip by Donald Trump to Riyadh, the US announced a $110 billion arms sale to the Saudis.
