DOHA (Dispatches) -- President Masoud Pezeshkian has expressed Iran’s willingness to strengthen cooperation with Saudi Arabia. 
“We consider Islamic countries, including Saudi Arabia, as our brothers, and we emphasize the importance of setting aside differences to enhance cooperation,” he said during a meeting with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan here.
During his two-day visit to Qatar, Pezeshkian referred to the Islamic Republic’s missile attack on Israel. 
“The recent decisive actions of our armed forces were a legitimate response to Israel’s ongoing crimes, following its unfulfilled promise of a ceasefire in Gaza in exchange for restraint from the Islamic Republic of Iran.” 
The Saudi foreign minister said Riyadh aims to “permanently close the chapter on our differences and focus on resolving issues, developing relations as two friendly and brotherly countries”. 
“We trust in your wisdom and insight in managing the situation and contributing to peace and stability in the region,” he said. 
In Tehran, Pezeshkian said Iran reached a “good understanding” with Qatar on the $6 billion in Iranian funds that are being withheld by Doha after their release from South Korean banks.
Pezeshkian made the remarks upon his return to Tehran from a visit to Doha, where he attended the 19th Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) summit, held talks with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and oversaw the signing of six cooperation documents between the two countries.
“In Qatar, we have $6 billion in assets. The issue was discussed during a meeting between the governors of the two countries’ central banks, as well as the meeting with the Qatari Emir; We reached a good understanding in this regard,” he said.
In August 2023, Iran and the United States agreed to a Qatar-brokered deal to secure the release of some $6 billion of Iranian funds that had remained frozen in two South Korean banks since 2018 under the pretext of U.S. sanctions.
The money was successfully transferred to bank accounts in Doha.
Later, however, American media reported that the U.S. had reached a “quiet understanding” with Qatar to stop the Islamic Republic from accessing its funds after Palestinian groups launched Operation Al-Aqsa Storm in October 2023.
Senior Iranian and Qatari officials also signed six documents to expand bilateral cooperation in different fields from economy to trade and education.
The documents call for expanding cooperation between the two countries in fields of hygiene, trade and economy, cultural programs, as well as sport and education.
Also in his remarks, the Iranian president expressed hope that Iran and its neighboring states will join hands to put Israel in its place and make the regime stop its crimes and killings in the region.
“I hope we can lead the region to peace and security and develop harmony, empathy and unity among Islamic countries,” he said.
In an X post on Thursday, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that the message from President Pezeshkian’s trip was that Iran’s neighbors are its priority and that the country seeks a “strong region.”
Araghchi accompanied the Iranian President during his visit to Qatar and participated in an extraordinary ministerial meeting of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).