TEHRAN (Iran News) – Is “Change of Tone” of Saudis Serious? Nowadays Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s remarks that Riyadh is seeking to have “good relations” with Iran have received mixed reactions and everybody interprets it in his own way and style.

Some believe after Joe Biden took office as the U.S. President, the honey moon between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia during Donald Trump’s presidency has come to an end and for this reason Saudis now have decided to change their hostile policy against Iran and to get closer to this powerful country.

Some also believe that Saudis have been forced to change their tone because of Iran’s power and influence in the region and in the world as well as recent supremacy of Houthis in war with the coalition forces. And some also believe that the Saudis have changed their tactic and they want to show a peaceful nature despite years of atrocities against Yemenis and their anti-Iran measures.

Anyway and for any reason, the Islamic Republic of Iran welcomes the new approach of the Saudis provided that it is a real change in attitude.

Reacting to Bin Salman’s interview and remarks, Iran Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said Iran welcomes the recent “change in Saudi Arabia’s tone” towards the Islamic Republic, adding that the “important” regional players can start revisiting their relations.

“With the help of constructive viewpoints and a dialog-based approach, the important regional and Muslim world countries can put their differences behind and enter a fresh chapter of interaction and cooperation towards realization of regional peace, stability, and development,” Saeed Khatibzadeh said on Thursday night.

Earlier, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had told the Saudi-owned al-Arabiya TV that the kingdom viewed Iran as a neighboring country and aspired to have good relations with it.

“At the end of the day, Iran is a neighboring country. All we ask for is to have a good and distinguished relationship with Iran,” he had said.

Khatibzadeh recalled how the Islamic Republic itself has been originating proposals aimed at sewing up existing rifts among regional countries, most importantly the Hormuz Peace Initiative (HOPE). Devised by President Hassan Rouhani, the proposal seeks to establish a mechanism implemented by regional countries to ensure regional security.

With such proposals, “the Islamic Republic has been pioneering the course of regional amity and cooperation and welcomes the change in Saudi Arabia’s tone,” the spokesman said.

He expressed hope that the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan inaugurates convergence among members of the regional Muslim society and rid the region of the scourge of warfare, displacement, and insecurity.

During the interview, however, Bin Salman added a touch of Saudi Arabia’s former discourse to his remarks, claiming Riyadh “has a problem with Tehran’s negative behavior, its nuclear program, and its support for militias.”

The Islamic Republic has changelessly spurned any claims aimed at branding it with regional interference or tarnishing its nuclear activities.

Iranians have always called for friendly ties with their neighboring states especially the Muslim states and have been urging Saudi Arabia to stop meddling in the regional countries’ affairs and put an end to the years-long Riyadh-led war on its impoverished southern neighbor Yemen.

Now Iran is a regional power that everybody has admitted and Saudi Arabia is also has to accept it and should stop taking offensive approach against the country and Saudis are better to cooperate with Iran and other regional Muslim states against foreign forces’ presence in the region because foreigners just think of their own benefits and they look to Muslim countries in the region as milking cow to take advantage of them.

Now time is ripe for unity among the Muslim countries against presence of foreigners in their countries and region, and the Islamic Republic of Iran welcomes stretching of friendship hand by any country provided that it is a true one and is not a dramatic gesture for deceiving because Iran is now  a smart and powerful country which monitors any move of friends and foes wisely.