Iran said it welcomes any diplomatic effort to improve relations with its Gulf neighbors and wants to repair ties with more Arab countries following last week’s accord with Saudi Arabia.
(Bloomberg) — Iran said it welcomes any diplomatic effort to improve relations with its Gulf neighbors and wants to repair ties with more Arab countries following last week’s accord with Saudi Arabia.
The Islamic Republic and the Sunni kingdom announced a landmark agreement on March 10 — brokered by China — to restore diplomatic ties after seven years of tense acrimony and rivalry that’s fueled proxy wars and roiled energy markets.
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On Monday, Nasser Kanaani, spokesman for Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told reporters that Iran “welcomes any diplomatic movement that would contribute to political convergence in the region and economic benefits for all parties.”
Speaking in Tehran, Kanaani said he hoped a meeting between his country’s top diplomat, Hossein Amirabdollahian, and Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal Bin Farhan would happen “very soon.” Still, he wouldn’t confirm reports of a forthcoming China-led summit involving Iran, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Cooperation Council members.
The detente between Tehran and Riyadh comes as Iran’s theocratic leadership faces unprecedented levels of public dissent and a worsening economic crisis at home.
Kanaani said Iran wants to mend ties with other countries in the region, including Egypt and Bahrain. Both have either cut or significantly downgraded relations with Tehran over its regional policies over the past decade.
“The region needs the potential of Iran-Egypt relations,” Kanaani said. “We believe in the necessity of taking new steps in relations.”
In Yemen, which has been ravaged by a proxy war between Tehran and Riyadh, the Saudi deal is expected to lead to “positive developments,” he said.
–With assistance from Patrick Sykes.
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