Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said on Monday that the kingdom’s relationship with Iran is “tense” at the moment, noting “it would be wonderful to live in peace and harmony with Iran.”

Relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia was strained after thousands of people, many of them Iranians, died in a stampede at the 2015 Haj rituals, when two large masses of pilgrims converged at a crossroads during the symbolic ceremony of the stoning of Satan in Jamarat.

Following the incident, Iranian authorities slammed Saudi Arabia for being incompetent in managing Haj rituals, appealing to the Muslim world to hold Riyadh accountable for the tragedy.

Ties between the two countries worsened when Saudi Arabia executed a Shia cleric a year ago. The execution angered some Iranian citizens who stormed the Saudi embassy in Tehran.

Therefore, Iranian pilgrims did not participate in the latest Haj rituals, which were held months ago, when Saudi Arabia declined to guarantee their safety.

Al-Jubeir expressed optimism about the future U.S. administration’s stance on Iran, saying Riyadh and Washington agree that Iran’s influence in the region should be “contained”.

He accused Iran of destabilizing the region and described the regional policies of the Islamic Republic “aggressive” and “hostile”.

Following the implementation of the nuclear deal that ended nuclear-related sanctions against Iran in return for some limitation on the country’s nuclear program, Saudi Arabia, as some analysts say, feared that it may lose one of its closest western allies, the U.S.

During Obama’s term, Washington aimed at reaching a nuclear deal with Iran as well as limiting America's role in the Middle East, both of which have been criticized by Saudi Arabia.

“We will look at the Trump administration’s view as articulated. Wanting to restore America’s role in the world, we welcome this. Wanting to defeat ISIS (Islamic State), absolutely. Wanting to contain Iran ... absolutely,” said Al Jubeir, urging the upcoming U.S. President Donald Trump to take a more active role in the region and a more aggressive stance against Iran.

MH/PA