Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah said on Saturday that if the 2015 Iran nuclear pact was revived that should be "a starting point, not an end point" in order to address regional concerns.
"That will indeed require from our neighbors in Iran a serious desire to address the underlying issues that exist ... We hope that there is a serious desire to find a new modus operandi," he said.
"If we see substantive progress on those files, then yes rapprochement is possible. So far we have not seen that," he told the Munich Security Conference.
He said the Kingdom was looking to schedule a fifth round of direct talks with Iran despite the lack of progress, urging Tehran to change its behavior in the region.
Prince Faisal highlighted this negative behavior, citing its ongoing support to the Houthi militias in Yemen that refuse to sit at the dialogue table and cease hostilities in the war-torn country. He added that Tehran continued to provide the Houthis with ballistic missile and drone parts, as well as conventional weapons.
"This does not contribute to finding a path to settle that conflict, but we are committed and we are supportive of the United Nations representative," he said, referring to stalled UN-led efforts for a ceasefire in Yemen.
Saudi Arabia will continue to support the legitimate Yemeni government and international efforts to persuade the Houthis to accept a ceasefire and return to talks, he vowed.
Responding to a question, Prince Faisal denied that Saudi-led Arab coalition strikes in Yemen were leaving a high death toll among civilians. The coalition is only targeting Houthi military locations and adopting NATO standards, he stressed. Investigations are immediately launched into the death of civilians during raids, he added.
The only way to avoid civilian casualties and to address the humanitarian crisis is to reach a ceasefire and this is what Saudi Arabia is working on, he stated.
Prince Faisal met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the sidelines of the Munich conference. They discussed the historic strategic bilateral relations that bind their countries and ways to bolster them.
They discussed ways to enhance joint efforts to stop the Houthi militias' violations against Yemen and its people.
Prince Faisal and Blinken addressed the importance of stopping Houthi attacks on civil and economic facilities, and their threat to international navigation, reported the Saudi Press Agency.
They also exchanged views on Iran's nuclear program and tackled the latest regional and international developments, specifically stability and security in the Middle East.
Prince Faisal met with other foreign ministers participating at the Munich conference, including Qatari FM Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani. Talks focused on the firm bilateral relations between Riyadh and Doha and ways to boost them for the interests of their countries and people.
They addressed political, security and economic affairs, and efforts to support regional stability and international peace. They also exchanged views on several regional and international developments.
Prince Faisal also met on the sidelines of his visit with his counterparts from Germany, India, Armenia, Somalia, Belgium, Ireland, the Netherlands, Georgia and Austria.
