TEHRAN - Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmoud Qureishi, in a meeting in Tehran on Monday, exchanged views over ways to reduce tension in the Persian Gulf region.

There was no detail of the talks.

On Sunday evening, the Pakistani foreign minister also held a meeting with President Hassan Rouhani. 

In the meeting, Rouhani said Iran is willing to have close relations with all regional countries. “We believe that division in the Islamic community is not beneficial to anyone and we completely welcome Pakistan's efforts for promoting regional peace and stability in this regard.”

The president also referred to the fragile situation of the region, saying, “In the current condition, we must all cooperate with each other to establish peace and stability and ease tensions.”

Rouhani also emphasized that war and tensions in the region could be very dangerous, stating, “The Islamic Republic of Iran, while fully prepared to defend its own interests, has never sought to ignite a war in the region, so the operation against the American base was in fact a response to America’s criminal act.”

Tensions in the Persian Gulf region have entered a new phase as the United States assassinated top Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad on January 3, a highly dangerous move which pushed the region closer to a hot war.

The assassination, which was committed upon direct order by Donald Trump, was considered as an act of war against Iran.

To avenge the death of General Soleimani, on January 8, on the dead of the night, Iran fired more than ten missiles at a U.S. airbase in western Iran from which the U.S. had flown drones to martyr Soleimani.

Interim Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi said Soleimani was visiting Baghdad to meet him on how to normalize ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

MJ/PA