Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif confirmed that his country's "arms" are open for dialogue and cooperation with Arab countries in the Gulf region.
Zarif, in statements to Iranian television upon his arrival in the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, reiterated his country's belief that the Gulf region needs dialogue and cooperation and the establishment of trust-building measures among its states, noting that "Iran's arms have always been and will continue to be open to that." He added that "Gulf states have lost a four-year opportunity for dialogue with Iran, and now Trump is gone, but we and the Gulf states remain." He emphasized that "Gulf states must realize they will remain alongside Iran, while American presidents change."
This statement reinforces Zarif's earlier declaration about his country’s willingness to engage in dialogue with neighboring Arab countries in the Gulf following the departure of former U.S. President Donald Trump, and the beginning of his successor, Democrat Joe Biden's term, who was part of the 2015 agreement that led to the nuclear deal with Tehran.
Relations between Iran on one side and Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain on the other have been under continuous tension for several years, which escalated during Trump's administration, marked by a series of harsh sanctions imposed on Tehran and his withdrawal from the nuclear agreement, welcomed by the aforementioned Arab states.
In a related context, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh announced that Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif will begin this week a tour that includes the Republic of Azerbaijan, Russia, Armenia, Georgia, and Turkey.
