Iran Against the GCC Pressure on Qatar

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohamed Javad Zarif said his country hopes the GCC countries will be able to resolve their differences.

Talking yesterday to reporters on the sidelines of the 16th Asian Ministerial Meeting of the Asian Co-operation Dialogue (ACD) in Doha, the Iranian foreign minister said: “We hope that GCC countries could resolve their differences. We were against the pressure against Qatar. We believe that the pressure against Qatar is against international law.” 

“We are proud of the people of Qatar who were able to continue by resisting and improving their status. The only way is for everybody is to come back together to the negotiating table,” he said.
Zarif stressed that his country has good relationship with Qatar, Kuwait and Oman and hopes to have the same level of relationship with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and UAE.

He emphasised that the ACD is an important forum in the absence of an Asian organisation like that of Africa, Europe and Latin America.
He stressed the importance of engaging in a regional dialogue and pushing forward in this direction which the continent needs.

The Iranian foreign minister also welcomed Qatar’s decision to host the 16th Asian Ministerial Meeting and the upcoming summit meeting for further dialogue between Asian countries and the Gulf region.

Regarding the GCC-US relations on the one hand and Iran’s relations with the GCC countries on the other, the Iranian foreign minister said: “We don’t interfere in their (countries of the region) internal relations with the United States. That’s their business. What’s important for us, in the region, is to realise that we have to live together, and living together requires dialogue, understanding and respect for each other.” 

“We cannot have, always, somebody from outside protecting us against each other. We have nothing against each other. Countries in the GCC and Iran have common history, religion, destiny, interests and we face common challenges, the challenge of extremism and terrorism,” Zarif said.

On US attempt to designate some organizations and groups as terrorist organizations, the Iranian foreign minister said: “The United States supports the biggest terrorist in our region, Israel, so it’s not in a position to theoretically and practically designate others as terrorist organisations. We reject any attempt by the United States in this regard.” 

All that Washington has done so far is against the stability of the region, he said, adding that he cannot remember even one incident from the United States that contributed to the stability of the region.

Regarding US sanctions on Iranian oil, the foreign minister said that they will find their own way and that they have been doing this for 40 years, and they will do it now.

It is difficult and a pressure against Iranian people, and they will never accept pressure but will remain very open to people who extend to them the hand of friendship, he said.

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