TEHRAN - Vice Speaker of the Russian State Duma Sergey Nikolayevich Baburin has said that hostility against Tehran will be harmful to the Persian Gulf Arab states.

“The Persian Gulf littoral states will be harmed by hostility against Iran and they should replace conflicts with cooperation, because Tehran is ready for friendship,” he told IRNA in an interview published on Sunday.

The Duma official said that claims about Iran’s interference in Yemen’s affairs is “unfounded”, noting Iran is making efforts to help stabilize the region.

Baburin said that the West is spreading Iranophobia to speed up infiltration into the region and sell arms to Arab countries.

Heavy arms sales to these countries have even caused economic problems in Saudi Arabia, he pointed out. 

The ranking Duma member also said that some countries in the region provide the terrorists and extremist groups with supports to achieve their geopolitical objectives.

He suggested that terrorism in the region can be countered by stopping such approaches, he added.

Baburin called on the Arab countries to adopt a more realistic position.

Elsewhere, he said that friendly relations with Iran will be beneficial for the Persian Gulf littoral states.

Reuters reported in September, 2016 that Barack Obama, the former U.S. president, offered Saudi Arabia more than $115 billion in weapons, other military equipment and training, the most of any U.S. administration in the 71-year U.S.-Saudi alliance.

NA/PA