Javad Zarif: Iran and Saudi Arabia fighting common threat of terrorism

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has said that his country and Saudi Arabia share common interests, such as fighting terrorism and extremism in the region.

During a joint press conference with his Finnish counterpart Erkki Tuomioja in the Iranian capital Tehran, Anadolu news agency quoted Zarif as saying that Tehran’s relations with Riyadh have improved after the recent meeting between Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal Al-Saud.

“We always strive to improve our relations with neighbouring countries, especially Saudi Arabia, due to its prominent status among the countries of the Muslim world,” he added.

Sunni dominated Saudi Arabia and Shi’ite dominated Iran have had tense relations for many years, exacerbated by the Arab Uprisings. Riyadh helped to quash the Shi’ite democratic uprising in Bahrain and openly supports the opposition in Syria, whereas Tehran stood by Bahrain’s protesters and seeks to preserve the regime of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad.