Iran Backs Any Deal in Favor of Palestine: FM

In a meeting on the sidelines of a summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in the Gambia on Saturday, Amirabdollahian and his Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud talked about regional issues, including the Gaza crisis.

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 the fate of Palestine.”

Joint efforts should be made to stop the war in Gaza which serves the interests of the Palestinian people and the regional countries, he stressed.

He also 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.

The top Iranian diplomat then 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.”

“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,” Amirabdollahian noted.

For his part, the Saudi foreign minister called for continuous talks and interaction between the two countries on bilateral, regional and international issues.

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

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, the Iranian Foreign Ministry reported.

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.”

The two foreign ministers also discussed ways to facilitate issuing business visas and establish direct flights between the two countries.