Arabs, Others Should Respect Iran As A Regional Power: Putin
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Russian President Vladimir Putin called on Arab countries and others in the Middle East and in the Persian Gulf to begin to recognize Iran’s rights as a traditional regional power.
In an interview with three major Arabic-language TV channels released on Saturday, Putin urged Iran’s neighbors to respect the country’s interests in the region.
He called Iran a country that has “existed on its territory for thousands of years,” according to an English translation of remarks published on the website of Russia’s RT news channel.
He reiterated that Russia wants to maintain close cooperation with both Iran and other countries in the region despite the tensions that have grown over the past years.
In his interview, Putin also made an indirect reference to a Friday attack on an Iranian oil tanker sailing near Saudi Arabia’s western coast in the Red Sea.
He said all attacks on oil tankers in the regional waters should be condemned as they pose a major threat to the global security of energy.
