Saudi Arabia has told Tehran that continued Iranian attacks on the kingdom and its energy sector could push Riyadh to respond in kind, Reuters said quoting people familiar with the matter.

Saudi Arabia foiled a drone attack on Riyadh's diplomatic quarter, the Saudi defense ministry said early on Sunday. No injuries were reported.

Saudi Arabia has told Tehran that while it favours a diplomatic settlement to Iran's conflict with the United States, continued attacks on the kingdom and ​its energy sector could push Riyadh to respond in kind, the report said.

The message was conveyed before a speech on ‌Saturday in which Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian apologised to neighbouring Gulf states for Tehran’s actions -- an apparent attempt to defuse regional anger over Iranian strikes that hit civilian targets.

Two days earlier, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan spoke to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and set out Riyadh’s position with clarity, the sources said.

It was underlined that neither Riyadh nor other Gulf states had let the US use their airspace or territory to launch airstrikes on Iran.

Meanwhile, reports suggest that Iran's president's apology to neighboring states for its attacks has stirred criticism from hardliners at home.

"I personally apologise to neighbouring countries that were affected by Iran's actions," Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said, urging them not to ​join US-Israeli attacks on Iran.

He dismissed Trump's demand for the Islamic Republic's unconditional surrender as "a dream," but said its temporary leadership council had agreed to suspend attacks on nearby states unless strikes on Iran originated from their territory.

Pezeshkian's comments caused a political stir in Iran, prompting his office to reiterate Iran's military would respond firmly to attacks from US bases in the region, reports said.