Iran is ready to engage in dialogue with Gulf countries to address escalating tensions in the Middle East, according to Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, Al Jazeera has reported.
He was speaking while on a visit to Qatar where he met Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Doha. Both sides “expressed their concern about escalations and problems in the region”, a Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement said.
Tensions have risen between Iran and the US and its Gulf allies Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The US has deployed a carrier strike group and bombers, and announced plans to deploy 1,500 US troops to the Middle East.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif had earlier hit out at the US after US President Donald Trump said Washington was not looking for regime change in Iran but was only interested in preventing it from obtaining nuclear weapons. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in October last year had stated the US was seeking a regime change in his country.