Saudi Arabia calls for Riyadh-Tehran cooperation to defuse Netanyahu’s warmongerings

He made the remarks in a meeting with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amirabdollahian on the sidelines of an Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit in the Gambian capital Banjul on Saturday.

Both sides stressed that the ties between the two countries are on the right track and underlined the significance of their joint economic and commercial cooperation.

Amirabdollahian and bin Farhan discussed and agreed on facilitating issuing business visas and establishing direct flights between the two countries.

The Iranian foreign minister shed light on Iran’s principled stance in meting out a punishment for the aggressor Zionist regime after it struck the Iranian embassy in Damascus in a terrorist move, which triggered a strong response by the Iranian armed forces by targeting the Zionist regime’s military and intelligence bases that were used to launch the missile attack on the Iranian diplomatic site.

Amirabdollahian said Iran supports any agreement that guarantees the restoration of the Palestinian people’s rights, stating, “We believe that the Palestinians themselves should decide about the fate of Palestine.”

Meanwhile, the top Iranian diplomat touched on the recent US activities in the region, saying, “The historical records and our experiences show that the US continues to renege on its promises and it does not abide by any deal or promise.”

He said joint efforts should be made to stop the war in Gaza which serves the interests of the Palestinian people and the regional countries.

Amirabdollahian noted, “We believe that the restoration of stability and security to the region and the cessation of the war are in the interest of all the countries in the region.”

For his part, the Saudi foreign minister expressed his satisfaction over the meeting and the continuous talks and interaction between the foreign ministers of the two countries in bilateral, regional and international fields.

He stated, “The important thing is that the leaders of the two countries have the will to expand and deepen bilateral ties.”

Bin Farhan stressed that active economic, cultural and people-to-people relations are among the basic factors that can further boost the ties in line with the interests of both countries, citing resumption of Umrah Hajj pilgrimage and its positive effects among the people of both countries as one of them.

The Saudi foreign minister also elaborated on his country’s views on the regional developments and emphasized the kingdom’s special efforts to help restore the Palestinian people’s rights and establish an independent Palestinian state.

Expressing hope that a ceasefire would be achieved in Gaza at this stage, he said stopping the war is in the interest of the Palestinian people and can set the stage for the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Meanwhile, bin Farhan said the continued interaction between Iran and Saudi Arabia is indispensable in confronting Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s war-mongering plots in the region.

The Saudi foreign minister also reiterated that Riyadh condemns Israel’s strikes on the Iranian Embassy in Damascus as a diplomatic site, stating, “Such an attack is in no way acceptable or justified.”