Mehr News reported that government and Iran’s foreign policy arrangement had focused on solving nuclear issue with the west. Mohammad Javad Zarif, Rouhani’s foreign minister has sought opportunities after solving the crux of Iran’s nuclear issue to revive Iran’s relations with Arab states especially Persian Gulf Countries. Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and UAE are Arab countries with the lowest level of political relations, living in a space fraught with misunderstanding with Iran in recent years.
Ayatollah Rafsanjani intervenes
Even Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani has said he is ready to go to Riyadh to repair relations with Saudi Arabia which in recent months has taken hostile positions on Iran along with the Zionist regime. Positions taken by Saudi Arabian rulers in Riyadh are directly linked to Iran’s positions on developments in Bahrain and Syrian crisis. The scale of hostilities rose to such levels that a French website had reported recently that Prince Bandar bin Sultan had supported terrorist groups fighting Iran. Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani, who enjoyed friendly relations with Saud family rulers in his presidential term, and still has maintained that level of ties, has told to Financial Times he was ready to go to Riyadh in an attempt to alleviate tension between Iran and Saudi Arabia, saying that he was ready to work to improve ties with the country. He had been invited by Saudi King Abdullah to a Hajj pilgrimage this year. Now, after Ayatollah’s remarks, Mohammad Javad Zarif has said he would visit Saudi Arabia soon. In his joint press conference with Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu he told reporters that he would visit Saudi Arabia, and that its precise time should be determined, and that he was looking forward to talk to Saudi brethren.
UAE congratulations and foreign minister’s visit
The same Sheikh bin Zayed Al-Nahyan who had taken the harshest positions against Iran when Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visited Abu Musa Island, travelled last week to Iran and visited Zarif and president Rouhani. UAE was the first Arab country in the Persian Gulf that congratulated Iran on Genève nuclear deal. UAE foreign minister was welcomed by Zarif and in a meeting with Rouhani, he has emphasized on the solving deportation of Iranians living in UAE. Hassan Rouhani told the UAE foreign minister that developing the bilateral ties with neighbors especially UAE was a priority for his cabinet of ‘prudence and hope.’ “Given the recent developments, valuable opportunities for both countries have been created to boost political and economic relations, and God willing, Tehran and Abu Dhabi would exploit this opportunity,” said Rouhani.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran wants development and stability for the region, and we should move in that direction through unity and solidarity to improve economic cooperation,” added Rouhani.
Iran and UAE foreign ministers also emphasized on a new season in bilateral and multilateral relations, and Zarif told that Iran highly assessed relations with neighbors especially brother and friend country of UAE.
Bahrain demand its ambassador return Tehran
Given the highly tense relations between Iran and Bahrain after the bloody suppression of Shiite uprisings by al-Khalifa dynasty, now Bahraini foreign minister has invited Iran to attend Manama Security Forum. Bahraini daily Al-Wasat wrote that Khalid bin Hamad al-Khalifa told Bahrain had invited Zarif for participation in the forum to be held in December 8 2013. In May 2010 Bahrain had recalled back his ambassador from Tehran for Iran’s condemnation of joint Bahraini and Saudi forces clamp down on Shiite uprisings, and Iran did the same.
Recently, Sayed Hassan Nasrallah had recommended Iran’s deputy foreign minister in a meeting not to send ambassador to Manama, since it would be assumed as a political overture from Iran for Bahrain without any price paid for that.
SH/ZK
MNA
END
Your Comment