Iran Strongly Opposed to Any Threat, Pressure against Neighbors: Zarif
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif reiterated Tehran’s policy to help boost regional stability and said the Islamic Republic is against any kind of pressure or threat against neighboring countries, including Qatar.
Iran’s policy toward the Middle East region is crystal clear, Zarif said in a Monday meeting with the Qatari ambassador to Tehran, Ali Bin Hamad al-Sulaiti.
“Regional problems should be resolved through dialogue, and we are opposed to any kind of pressure and threat posed by anyone against (our) neighbors,” he noted.
During the meeting, the two sides also exchanged views about the latest efforts to boost relations between Tehran and Doha in diverse areas, including economy and trade.
Al-Sulaiti returned to the Iranian capital on August 25 to resume his diplomatic career after a 20-month hiatus that started in January 2016.
Qatar recalled its ambassador to Tehran in January last year after Saudi Arabia cut ties with the Islamic Republic, following angry protests held outside its embassy in Tehran and consulate in Mashhad against the kingdom's execution of senior Shiite cleric Ayatollah Nimr al-Nimr.
Doha’s decision to resume diplomatic ties with Tehran comes amid a diplomatic rift between Qatar and several Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain.
The Arab countries allied with Saudi Arabia blame Doha for interfering in the domestic affairs of other states and sponsoring terrorism, an accusation Qatar has rejected as "groundless".
The diplomatic crisis, the worst since the 1990 invasion of Kuwait by Iraq and the subsequent Persian Gulf War, has seen the Arab nations cut ties to Qatar, which hosts a major US military base and will be the host of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Doha has been receiving fresh food supplies from Iran, which has also allowed Qatar's national carrier to use its airspace.
