French President Emmanuel Macron has said his viewpoints on Iran do not conform with Saudi Arabia’s hardline stance vis-à-vis the Islamic Republic.

“The very tough positions expressed by Saudi Arabia regarding Iran do not conform to what I think [about Tehran],” Le Monde on Friday quoted Macron as having said during a press conference in Dubai on Thursday.

The French head of state, who was wrapping up a two-day visit to the United Arab Emirates, also announced a surprise visit to Saudi Arabia in his presser.

Earlier in the week, Saudi Arabia had blamed Iran for a missile strike on its soil from neighboring Yemen and had said there would be a response “in the appropriate time and manner.” The missile had been fired by Yemen’s Houthi Ansarullah movement, which has been defending the impoverished country against a deadly Saudi-led invasion since March 2015.

Macron was traveling to Saudi Arabia to obtain information about the fate of Saad Hariri, who has resigned as Lebanon’s prime minister.

Source: Websites