Riyadh will not permit attacks on Iran from Saudi territory: crown prince

• Iran's president, MBS discuss regional security during call.
• Masoud Pezeshkian says US threats would result in instability.
• Riyadh affirms support for dialogue to resolve issues.
  

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian during a call on Tuesday that Riyadh would not allow attacks on Iran to be launched from its soil.

MBS "affirmed during the call the kingdom's position on respecting the sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and that the Kingdom will not allow its airspace or its territory to be used for any military actions against" Iran, Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry said in a statement.

The Saudi crown prince also affirmed Riyadh's support for any efforts aimed at resolving disputes through dialogue.

During the telephonic conversation, the Iranian president told the Saudi crown prince that US threats against Tehran would only result in instability.

"The threats and psychological operations of the Americans are aimed at disrupting the security of the region and will achieve nothing other than instability for them," Pezeshkian told the Saudi crown prince, according to his office.

Pezeshkian told MBS that the "unity and cohesion" of Islamic countries can guarantee "lasting security, stability and peace in the region".

The Iranian president said that Tehran always welcomed any process, within the framework of international law, that prevents war, Iranian media reported.

The telephonic conversation came as the US announced a major multi-day Air Force exercise in the Middle East.

The exercise will "demonstrate the ability to deploy, disperse, and sustain combat airpower across" the Middle East, the US Air Force component of Central Command, which is responsible for American forces in the region, said in a statement.

No date or exact location for the exercise were released.

Saudi Arabia has become the second major Gulf state after the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to publicly say it would not allow attacks on Iran to be launched from its territory or airspace.

On January 26, the UAE foreign ministry said in a statement it "has reaffirmed the United Arab Emirates' commitment to not allowing its airspace, territory or waters to be used in any hostile military actions against Iran".

The UAE hosts thousands of US personnel at Al Dhafra airbase near the capital Abu Dhabi, one of several American military sites in the Gulf.

The UAE also refused to provide logistical support for attacks, the statement said, adding that "dialogue, de-escalation, adherence to international law, and respect for state sovereignty" were the best way to address "current crises".

US President Donald Trump had repeatedly warned Iran that if it killed protesters, the US would intervene militarily, and also encouraged Iranians to take over state institutions, saying, "help is on the way."

But he pulled back from ordering strikes earlier this month, claiming Tehran had halted executions under pressure from Washington.

The protests in Iran started in late December, driven by economic grievances, with huge street demonstrations for several days from January 8.