Hussein Dahqan, advisor to the Iranian guide for military and defense affairs, stressed that his country is ready for dialogue with Saudi Arabia if Riyadh accepts this, indicating that the UAE's attitudes toward Iran have changed recently.
"From our side, we are ready for dialogue with Saudi Arabia, but it must accept this first, and as for our relations with the UAE, it has improved during the past months," Dahgan said in an exclusive interview with Al-Jazeera.
The Iranian official demanded that Saudi Arabia recognize "the failure of its war in Yemen" and "stop the bleeding there and open the way for a political solution."
Dehghan described what is happening in Yemen as a "military chaos that Saudi Arabia bears responsibility." He said, "I think that there is no single policy that unites Saudi Arabia and the Emirates in Yemen, as these two countries are stuck in the Yemeni quagmire, and what is going on there is a military chaos that Saudi Arabia bears responsibility for. The solution lies in Riyadh having the audacity and admitting the failure of the war in Yemen."
The political solution in Libya
On the other hand, he considered the adviser of the Iranian guide for military and defense affairs that the talk of parties about Iranian support for the forces of retired Major General Haftar in Libya "ridiculous."
He stressed that Tehran recognizes the government of national reconciliation, headed by Fayez al-Sarraj, and "demands that everyone work to adopt a political solution there."
"We recognize the Libyan government of reconciliation in Tripoli, which is internationally recognized, as we have not said and did not do anything that contradicts this position, and we say openly that we have no presence in Libya and we do not interfere in Libyan affairs, and the talk of some parties about Iranian support for Haftar's forces is laughable." And irony. "
Dehghan stressed that "Iran does not provide any significant support for Haftar," and that its position "is based on the necessity of stopping the interventions there and allowing the launch of the political solution and allowing the Libyans to decide their fate."
No dialogue with Trump
On the relationship with the United States of America, the Iranian military official said that his country will not negotiate with US President Donald Trump "because he is a criminal and terrorist" as he described, stressing that his country will meet any American military action against it with a strong and wide response.
"Do not negotiate with Trump," Dahgan said. "He is not a party you can talk to, and we consider him a criminal and terrorist and not a president with whom to negotiate."
"We absolutely refuse to negotiate our missile defense systems. America demands that we change our policies in the region and we say why do they not change their policies? Our policies in the region continue and will not change, and our words are clear that any American military action against our national security will be met with a strong and wide response."