Resounding opening of the Saudis to Iran, hitherto considered an enemy of the kingdom. Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman in a televised interview broadcast yesterday uses conciliatory tones towards the neighboring country, saying he seeks “good” relationships, after sources said rivals held secret talks in Baghdad. The two countries, engaged in a struggle for regional domination, cut their ties in 2016 after Iranian protesters attacked Saudi diplomatic missions following the kingdom’s execution of a prominent Shiite cleric.
“Iran is a neighboring country, and all we aspire to is a good and special relationship with Iran, “said the Saudi Crown Prince.” We don’t want Iran’s situation to be difficult. On the contrary, we want Iran to grow … and push the region and the world towards prosperity, “he added, explaining that Riyadh was working with regional and global partners to find solutions to Tehran’s” negative behavior “. marks a change of tone from previous interviews by principe Mohammed, in which he lashed out at Tehran, accusing it of fueling regional insecurity.
In the interview, the prince did not mention negotiations with Tehran. The interviews a Baghdad, facilitated by the Iraqi prime minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi, they remained secret until the Financial Times reported that a first meeting was held on April 9. An Iraqi government official then confirmed the AFP talks, while a Western diplomat said he had been “informed in advance” of the effort “to broker a better relationship and decrease tensions”.
Riad he officially denied talks in the official Saudi media while Tehran remained silent, stating only that it has “always welcomed” the dialogue with Saudi Arabia. The initiative comes at a time of shifting power dynamics since the president of the United States Joe Biden is trying to revive the nuclear deal abandoned by Donald Trump. Saudi Arabia and Iran have supported opposing sides of several regional conflicts, from Syria to Yemen. In the latter, a Saudi-led coalition is fighting the Iranian-backed Huthi rebels Huthi rebels, which have also intensified drone and missile attacks on Saudi targets, including its oil facilities. In his interview, Prince Mohammed renewed calls for a ceasefire and negotiations with the rebels.