The top military adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei says a new era of relations with neighboring countries has begun in Tehran's foreign policy.

Addressing the First National Conference of Iran and Neighbors on Monday, Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi, who is a former chief commander of Revolutionary Guard, said finding shared interests with the neighboring countries is now necessary for peace, progress and prosperity in the region.

Safavi’s remarks came as Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen launched a missile attack against the United Arab Emirates on Monday, for second time in a week.

Tensions between Iran and Persian Gulf Arab States have been high in the past few years, as Tehran expanded its network of proxy forces in the region and backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.

Referring to Iran’s long-term agreements with China and Russia, he said that Iran’s closer cooperation with the East has surprised “Western enemies and some regional rivals.”

Safavi said signing a “20-year non-aggression pacts” with all the neighboring states can be a good start to achieve a lasting security in the region.

In a similar conference in November, Safavi had said Iran should boost its intelligence cooperation with regional countries to coordinate the exchange and analysis of strategic data.

Iran’s hardliner officials and media say a new power triangle consisting of Iran, Russia and China has formed against the United States.