Zarif:

Tehran Ready to Cooperate with Riyadh to Resolve Muslims’ Problems

TEHRAN (defapress) – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the country is ready to work with all Islamic countries, including Saudi Arabia, to help resolve Muslims’ problems in the Middle East region and the world.

News ID: 65855

Date: 06 September 2017 - 11:46

"We are ready to cooperate with Islamic countries on all issues that is important to the Islamic world,” Zarif said in an interview with the Arabic-language Al Mayadeen TV network.

"Saudi Arabia is an important Islamic country and therefore, we are prepared to work with the country to address the problem of Rohingya Muslims,” he said.

The Iranian top diplomat further emphasized that Tehran is also ready to cooperate with Riyadh to help end regional crises, including the Syrian conflicts, crackdown in Bahrain and the "irrational and costly” war on Yemen.

Relations between Tehran and Riyadh have strained over the past years after their conflicting views on regional developments, particularly on Yemen and Syria, became more noticeable.

The relations further deteriorated after a crush of pilgrims in Mina, near Saudi Arabia’s Mecca, in September 2015, which reportedly killed over 7,000 Hajj pilgrims, including 465 Iranians.

Tehran has blamed the deaths on the Al Saud’s mismanagement of the Hajj pilgrimage and criticized Riyadh for "lack of cooperation” on restoring the rights of families of the victims.