Iran, Saudi Arabia reaffirm commitment to promoting bilateral ties

TEHRAN, May 24 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Interim President Mohammad Mokhber and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud on Friday reaffirmed their countries' commitment to expanding bilateral ties.

In a phone call, the Saudi crown prince extended condolences over the deaths of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and the accompanying delegation in a helicopter crash, according to the official IRNA news agency.

The Saudi crown prince emphasized the importance of developing relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran for the region, envisioning a bright future for the region through strengthened ties and expressing readiness to boost trade relations with Iran.

Mokhber, in turn, extended gratitude toward the Saudi crown prince and King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud for their "kind and sympathetic" condolatory messages.

He highlighted Raisi's successes in expanding relations with neighbors and friendly states, emphasizing that despite his death, Iran's commitment to strengthening ties with other countries remains unchanged.

Mokhber stressed that Iran and Saudi Arabia should further support, promote, and stabilize their political ties by increasing bilateral economic interactions and removing obstacles to cooperation between their private sectors.

The helicopter carrying Raisi and his entourage crashed Sunday in a mountainous area in the northwestern Iranian province of East Azarbaijan, resulting in the deaths of all those on board.

First Vice President Mokhber was appointed as the interim president until a new presidential election is held on June 28.

In April 2023, Iran and Saudi Arabia declared the resumption of diplomatic relations in Beijing after years of estrangement.