Iran says Saudi Arabia is ready for direct talks

• Iranian Foreign Ministry: Saudi Arabia is prepared to resume direct diplomatic talks with Iran.
• Spokesman made comments after Iraqi PM visited Tehran to mediate between the two countries.
• Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister met with Mustafa al-Kadhimi.

One day after Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi visited Tehran to mediate between the two regional foes, the Iranian Foreign Ministry reports that Saudi Arabia is prepared to have more direct bilateral discussions.

Without mentioning a potential date, Saeed Khatibzadeh, the spokesperson for the foreign ministry, told reporters at a press briefing on Monday that Riyadh is prepared to “resume conversations in Baghdad on a diplomatic level.”

The fifth and most recent round of direct negotiations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, which Baghdad hosted and which the Iranian side regarded as “good,” took place in April 2022.

Also Read

Cyberattack halts output at an Iranian steel company

The state-owned Khuzestan Steel Company announced on Monday that it had been...

Khatibzadeh claims that up to this point, the two parties have primarily only agreed in writing on a plan for housing Iranian pilgrims travelling to Mecca for the annual Hajj pilgrimage in July.

He stated that there were still issues between Iran and Saudi Arabia that needed to be resolved between the two nations in order to benefit the entire Islamic world.

Al-Kadhimi visited with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah the day before, and he was welcomed by Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian in Tehran on Sunday.

During a news conference with al-Kadhimi, Raisi spoke about problems in Yemen and Israel but avoided mentioning Saudi Arabia.

Iran-allied In Yemen, Houthi rebels are engaged in combat with a Saudi-led coalition, and Iran accuses Saudi Arabia of seeking close connections to Israel.

Iran “supports the reopening of embassies in the capitals of both countries,” Amirabdollahian stated.

In response to Saudi Arabia’s death of a well-known Shia religious leader, demonstrators stormed Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran in 2016, breaking off diplomatic relations between the two countries, which are primarily Sunni.

Iran backs the Yemeni Houthi rebels, who have been at war with a Saudi-led coalition for more than seven years. Iran has stated its support for the truce that is now in place and was mediated by the United Nations.

Also Read

Iran welcomes Tehran and Riyadh embassy reopening

Iran welcomes the reopening of Iranian and Saudi embassies in Riyadh and...