TEHRAN – An Iranian lawmaker has hailed the restoration of ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia, describing the move as beneficial to the Muslim world.

The lawmaker, Jalil Rahimi Jahan Abadi, who is a member of the Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said in remarks to IRNA that differences between Iran and Saudi Arabia have been a result of U.S. sowing discord between the two countries. 

“Revival of relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia is in the interest of the Islamic world, the West Asia and the two countries, and can contribute to the development of peace and stability in the region,” Rahimi Jahan Abadi said. 

Underlining that 67% of the world energy supplies come from the West Asia region, the lawmaker said, “All the great powers seek influence in this region, and the Americans tried to increase their and the Zionist regime's influence in the region through discord, and for this reason, there were ups and downs in the relations between these two great Islamic countries.”

He added, “The improvement of relations between Tehran and Riyadh will remove the dark atmosphere of Iran-phobia and can provide the opportunity for investment, growth and economic development for both countries. Instead of dealing with military tensions, it can create more time for the parties to cooperate.”

The lawmaker said that if deep economic ties are formed between Iran and Saudi Arabia to serve their common interests, the two Muslim countries could enjoy a friendship that cannot be affected by religious or political tensions.

Rahimi Jahan Abadi said, “The improvement of relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia will be strengthened in the light of joint investment and the deep economic ties between the two countries. If this bond is defined in the Persian Gulf area, which is the common interest of the two countries, Tehran and Riyadh will achieve stable friendship and tensions will be reduced. Political and religious cannot affect these relations.”

He also pointed to the Chinese mediation between Tehran and Riyadh, underlining that China seeks to play a pivotal role in the world and Asia.