Saudi Gazette report

TEHRAN — In the aftermath of the cancelation of a football match scheduled two days ago between Iran's Sepahan and Saudi Arabia's Al-Ittihad due to the presence of political symbols in the stadium, Tehran has affirmed its stance against using sports as a political tool.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hussein Amir Abdollahian said that there is an agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia to reschedule the match at a later time, with ongoing discussions to finalize the details.

Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of a government delegation meeting, Abdollahian revealed that he had direct communication with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan during the match's events.

He emphasized the agreement with his Saudi counterpart not to allow sports to become a political tool, ensuring that the spirit of sportsmanship prevails over political tensions.

Furthermore, Abdollahian highlighted that relations between Tehran and Riyadh are moving in the right direction.

He stressed the importance of preventing sports from becoming a political instrument in the hands of any party, promoting the idea that sports should foster unity rather than discord.

The cancelation of the football match raised concerns about the intersection of sports and politics.

Both Iran and Saudi Arabia are now working towards ensuring that such incidents do not tarnish the spirit of sportsmanship and cooperation between the two nations.