“We seek to establish the best brotherly relations with Saudi Arabia, based on the principle of mutual respect,” Fathali was quoted by the Lebanese Daily Star as saying in an interview with a radio station on Wednesday.
“We see positive indications on the horizon for Iranian-Saudi relations,” he added.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif’s participation in the last month’s funeral services for Saudi King Abdullah was just one gesture of goodwill, the diplomat explained.
The Iranian ambassador described relations with his Saudi counterpart as “very good”.
“Saudi Arabia and Iran have common enemies like the ISIL and Israel,” Fathali said. “The Saudi elites have reached this conviction.”
Fathali said Iran’s relations with Turkey have also improved.
“Turkish-Iranian relations are very good and (the value of) economic trade has reached $20 billion,” he added.
“There will be an official visit for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (soon),” Fathali said.
In relevant remarks in January, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir Abdollahian underlined that Saudi Arabia should adopt positive measures to better its relations with Tehran.
“We are optimistic about the future of the relations between Tehran and Riyadh and we hope to witness positive steps by the al-Saud in this regard,” Amir Abdollahian said in an interview with the parliament’s news website.
He referred to the empowerment of the new king in Saudi Arabia as well as the Iranian top diplomat’s short trip to Riyadh to participate in the funeral ceremony of the late Saudi king, and said, “Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif’s visit to Saudi Arabia at this juncture heralded a turning point in the relations between the two countries.”
