Fresh Overtures to Persian Gulf Neighbors

President Hassan Rouhani said Iran is open to the idea of a joint wide-ranging cooperation arrangement with its Persian Gulf neighbors, cautioning them about the US ulterior motives behind its regional policy.
"Iran has always been and will be a good neighbor for you," Rouhani said in remarks directed at the neighboring Persian Gulf states.
"Do not allow yourself to be misled by others and do not let foreigners and ill-wishers persuade you to chant hostile slogans. They do not care about your interests and are merely seeking to sell you their weapons at a high price in return for your cheap oil," he was quoted as saying by his official website.
"All countries around the Persian Gulf, from India and Pakistan to Oman, Saudi Arabia and Iraq can consider the establishment of a big alliance in the region for cooperation in the areas of trade, tourism, industry, and energy," he said in a Wednesday public address in Hormozgan Province, which is located on Iran's Persian Gulf coast.