RT- Iran is ready to discuss regional security issues with its Gulf Arab neighbors as long as foreign powers are kept out of any potential talks, President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday.

“We don’t need foreigners to guarantee the security of our region,” he said in a speech broadcast on state television. “When it comes to regional security arrangements, we are ready to talk to our neighbors and friends, without the presence of foreigners,” AFP quoted him as saying.

“We are, have been, and always will be good neighbors,” Rouhani said, addressing Gulf Arab countries including Iran’s regional rival Saudi Arabia. He was speaking in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas overlooking the Gulf – a flashpoint of tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia.