The Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Abdel Latif al-Zayani, has expressed his surprise at the "clear contradiction" evident in the position of Iran's Supreme Leader and that of its President regarding the country's relationship with Arab states, the Saudi Press Agency reported Monday. On Saturday, Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, said after the signing of a historic nuclear agreement with world powers that the deal does not imply any wider shift in Tehran's policies in the Middle East. Iran's pragmatist President, Hassan Rouhani, struck a more conciliatory note than Khamenei on Saturday. Following a phone call with the ruler of the Gulf Arab state of Qatar on Saturday, Rouhani said the nuclear agreement would improve Iran's relations with its neighbors. "No doubt, a deal will lead Iran to closer relations w/ neighbors, esp Qatar," Rouhani said on Twitter. Abdel Latif al-Zayani said that Khamenei's statements are not helping "to build confidence" that would improve "cooperative relations based on the principles of good neighborliness and non-interference in [other country's] internal affairs." Al-Zayani described the statements as an "unacceptable interference that is against international conventions." He added that all GCC countries "will continue to protect their own interests" and that they will maintain their "positions" to ensure "stability and security in the region." Under the landmark agreement reached last week, sanctions will be gradually removed in return for Iran accepting long-term curbs on a nuclear program that the West suspected of creating a nuclear bomb. Iran always denied it aimed to produce nuclear bombs.
