Azerbaijan, Baku, 19 August / Trend , corr T. Jafarov, R. Hafizoglu/ Besides establishing the unity of Muslims, the dialogue between Iran and Arab states will provide conditions to strengthen the position of Tehran in the region and to gain new allies.
"Iran-Arab dialogue is important, first of all, for the unity of Muslims," said Bahram Amirahmedian, the Iranian political expert.
According to the Iranian ISNA news agency, on 13 August the foreign minister of Iran Manuchehr Mottaki said during the meeting with the cultural figures of the country living abroad that Iran intends to develop relations with the Arab states.
Besides restoring relations with the neighboring Arab states which deteriorated during Iran-Iraq war in 1980, Tehran strives for strengthening its position in the region using the factor of Islam.
"At present, West tries to prompt confrontation between Iran and Arab states and between the Muslim states as a whole. West is interested in the failure of this dialogue," Amirahmedian said by telephone from Tehran.
Salih Kaabi, an independent Iraqi political expert believes that the key reason of Iran's striving for dialogue with the Arab states is the possible war between US and Iran.
"By beginning dialogue with the Arab states, Iran intends to gain new allies," Kaabi said to Trend from Baghdad.
Iran has influence in the region and Arab states will be obliged to start dialogue, he said.
The Iranian expert believes that the dialogue can end disagreements among Muslims and Iran will be able to demonstrate that it will not keep aside from the Islam community. "Iran neighbors with the Arab states and besides Islam factor, common benefits also unite them," Amirahmedian said.
The relations between Iran and Arab states deteriorated in 1980 as the Arab states supported Saddam Hussein in Iran-Iraq war. In April 2008, Iran acted as an observer in the summit of the Arab League and initiated Iran-Arab dialogue.
"Iran-Arab dialogue is inevitable," Amirahmedian said.
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