Riyadh urged to back anti-"Israel" resistance

Iranian Foreign Minister has criticized a division among Muslim countries in dealing with threats facing the Middle East, above all "Israel".

Manouchehr Mottaki called on Saudi Arabia to throw its support behind "the Palestinian resistance" against Tel Aviv "in line with the natural request of the Muslim world" to defuse the plots of the enemies.

"Today the essence of the Zionist regime has been revealed; there is no hope for compromise with the regime," Mottaki told the Saudi ambassador to Tehran, Osama Ahmed al-Sanusi.

The comment came as some Arabs states have been subject to criticism from public opinion the world over for refusing to take a position against the bloody "Israeli" 23-day offensive in the Gaza Strip which killed more than 1,330 Palestinians and wounded 5,450 more.

Mottaki also noted that there is a need in the region for Iranian and Saudi officials to increase their diplomatic consultations based on mutual interests.

Last month, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called on Saudi king "to break the silence" over "Israeli" crimes in the Gaza Strip.

Ahmadinejad, in a letter to King Abdullah, urged him to clearly announce his stance in order to "demolish the hope" of those seeking to forge a rift among Islamic countries.