Shiite Iran Seeks Rapprochement With Sunni Rival Saudi Arabia

In a recent Munich Security Conference, Iran's foreign minister expressed that his country would seek a more cordial relations with bitter rival Saudi Arabia in order to establish greater stability in war-torn Middle East.

The fragile state of affairs in the Middle East is overshadowed by an ongoing rivalry between Shiite Iran supporting the Assad-led regime Syria and Sunni Saudi Arabia backing the rebels allegedly including those deemed to be extremist in orientation.

"We need to work together. Iran and Saudi Arabia cannot exclude each other from the region. We are prepared to work with Saudi Arabia ... I believe Iran and Saudi Arabia can have shared interests in Syria," remarked Mohammed Javad Zarif, Iran's top envoy as quoted saying by Newsweek.

The statement coincided with European foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini's call for a fresh approach in diffusing tension among Middle Eastern powers and work on building greater cooperation among rivals.

"All we need to do...is change our paradigm. I can assure you, Iran is ready," added Zarif in attempt to present a less bellicose image of Iran in front of Western and Middle East delegates in the said meeting in Germany as mentioned in a report by Radio Free Europe.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia is reportedly massing ground troops and aircrafts in Turkish Incirlik base close to the Syrian border in an anticipated possibility of invading Syria with the help of Turkey and its Gulf allies.

Also, Saudi officials have been pressuring the US to take a more aggressive and interventionist stance in the light of the unfolding regional fallout of the multi-sided Syrian civil war.

"The United States must realize that they are the number one in the world and they have to act like it," Prince Mohammed Bin Salman said as quoted by the Huffington Post.