Iran calls for cooperation among Persian Gulf states

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has called for friendship among Persian Gulf littoral states and highlighted the capability of regional countries to independently run their own affairs free from foreign interference.

“Through cooperation with each other, the [Persian Gulf] regional countries can fulfill their interests and defend themselves against threats,” wrote Zarif in a note on the occasion of National Persian Gulf Day on Sunday. A portion of the text appeared on Zarif’s Instagram account later in the day.

Zarif noted that the Persian Gulf continues to suffer from “interference by big powers and their destructive role in the creation of wars and crises” in the region.

Iran, based on its strategic policies, calls for negotiations and joint cooperation with its neighboring countries in order to solve regional crises, added Zarif.

 

“We, the inhabitants of both sides of the Persian Gulf, can, despite the existence of some differences, turn this waterway into the sea of friendship,” Zarif stressed.

Iran designated April 30 as National Persian Gulf Day to highlight the fact that the waterway has been referred to by historians and ancient texts as “Persian” since the Achaemenid Empire was established in what is now modern day Iran.

While historical documents show that the waterway has always been referred to as the “Persian Gulf,” certain Arab states and their allies have recently mounted efforts to remove “Persian” from the name of the waterway.

National Persian Gulf Day also marks the anniversary of the dislodging of Portuguese military forces from the Strait of Hormuz in 1622, during the reign of Safavid king Shah Abbas I.