TEHRAN

Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said Wednesday Tehran is ready to engage in dialogue with Saudi Arabia if Riyadh “is ready for talks”.   

“If Saudi Arabia is ready for talks, Iran is always ready for negotiation with neighbors,” Zarif said in statements carried by the official IRNA news agency.  

Tehran “is interested in cooperation with neighbors”, he said.  

Zarif’s remarks came following a visit to Tehran on Tuesday by a military delegation from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for attending the 6th meeting of coast guards of the two countries.  

The UAE's delegation's visit came despite recent tensions between Tehran and Abu Dhabi over oil tanker incidents in the Gulf region.  

At the end of the Tuesday meeting, the two sides in a joint press conference underlined the necessity of maintaining security in the Gulf waters.