Iran Updates Gulf over Nuclear Deal

Local Editor

Iranian overtures towards Gulf Arab countries after Tehran signed a landmark nuclear deal with world powers are to keep "brothers" updated, parliament speaker Ali Larijani said Thursday.

Visits by top officials to the monarchies "are normal, because Iran considers the countries in the region to be friends", Larijani told reporters in Muscat after meeting Sultan Qaboos.
"They are our brothers, and we respect them and think that they should be aware of all developments," he said.

He further stated "Saudi Arabia is an important country in the region, with whom we have dated strong links," he said.
"We may have different viewpoints on some issues, but we hope that Islamic unity will work to settle all pending issues," he said, according to an Arabic interpretation of his remarks.

Larijani held talks with Sultan Qaboos who enjoys strong links with Tehran.
"The good relations between the two friendly countries were discussed during the meeting, as well as the various levels of existing bilateral cooperation," the official ONA news agency said.
It further quoted Larijani as saying in a meeting with his counterpart, the head of the Majlis al-Shura consultative council, Khalid al-Mawali as saying: "Iran has all respect for the vision of the sultan, which takes Omani-Iranian relations to top levels."

The visit follows a Gulf tour by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Jawad Zarif, who praised Oman during his stop in Muscat on Sunday for its role in the negotiations between Iran and world powers that paved the way for the nuclear deal.
Zarif's tour, which also took in Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, was aimed at assuring Gulf countries that the deal over its disputed nuclear program is in their interest.

Sultan Qaboos has acted as an intermediary between Western countries and the Islamic republic in the past.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team