Saudi Foreign Minister Adel bin Ahmed Al Jubeir yesterday rejected Iranian calls for dialogue saying Tehran was the biggest state sponsor of terrorism in the world, a destabilising force in the Middle East and wanted to “destroy us”.

He made these remarks at an address before the Munich Security Conference, said a statement from Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, US.

Citing several covert, political and military actions carried out by Iran to buttress his argument, Adel Al Jubeir said: "The Iranians do not believe in the principle of good neighbourliness or non-interference in the affairs of others. This is manifested in their interference in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Yemen, Pakistan and Afghanistan."

The foreign minister also pointed out that Iran was the only country in the region that had not been attacked by either Al Qaeda or Daesh.

"We look at the region and we see terrorism and we see a state sponsor of terrorism that is determined to upend the order in the Middle East," he said. "The Iranians are the only country in the region that has not been attacked by either Daesh or Al-Qaeda. And this begs the question why?," he pointed out.

"If Daesh and Al Qaeda are extremist Sunni organisations, you would think they would be attacking Iran, a Shiite state. But they have not. Could it be that there's a deal between them that prevents them or causes them not to attack the Iranians? This is a question that we keep asking ourselves," stated Adel Al Jubeir.

During the address, Adel Al Jubeir also outlined the kingdom's view of the Arab-Israeli conflict and the crises in Syria and Yemen and said Saudi Arabia was optimistic about working with the US administration to resolve many of the crises in the region today.

"One of the biggest factors I think that will help to resolve many of these challenges is the new American administration," he stated.

"We expect to see America engaged in the world. And we expect to see a realistic American foreign policy, and we look forward to working with this administration very, very closely," he added.

Adel Al Jubeir said Saudi Arabia was hopeful that Iran will change, but that Iran ultimately will be judged by its actions, not its words.

"When the Iranians send weapons in violation of UN Security Council resolutions to the Houthis in Yemen, that's an action," noted the minister.

"When the Iranians send Shiite militias to fight in support of Bashar Al Assad in Syria, that's action. When the Iranians plant terror cells in Bahrain and in Saudi Arabia and in other places, that's action. The action is more important than the words," he added.-TradeArabia News Service