Saudi Arabia’s King Salman is expecting Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi for a state visit.Photo: Bandar Aljaloud/Saudi Royal Palace/AP/dpa
After seven years of diplomatic ice age, Tehran and Riyadh are pushing ahead with the normalization of their relations.
A Saudi Arabian delegation has been holding talks in Iran since Saturday about reopening the kingdom’s diplomatic missions there. Tehran, for its part, announced delegation visits to Saudi Arabia in the coming days. A Saudi Arabian delegation also arrived in Yemen for peace talks with the Iran-backed Houthi militia.
The regional powers Saudi Arabia and Iran have been competing for influence in the Middle East for years. One of the most important arenas of this struggle is the civil war in Yemen, in which the Shiite Houthi rebels, with Iranian backing, are fighting the troops of Sunni President Abd Rabbo Mansur, who has fled into exile. Riyadh, in turn, leads a military coalition with the United Arab Emirates that supports the government in Yemen.
A Saudi Arabian delegation has now arrived in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa “to discuss progress in establishing peace in Yemen,” as a Yemeni diplomat in the Gulf region said. This was confirmed by a second diplomat.
A delegation from Oman also arrived in Yemen on Saturday, a source at Sanaa airport said. It was about a new armistice. Oman has gained a reputation as a discreet mediator in Gulf conflicts, which often involve Iran.
Last year, the conflicting parties in Yemen agreed on a six-month ceasefire. However, the agreement expired at the beginning of October and was not renewed. Nevertheless, it is largely complied with.
Iran and Saudi Arabia are vying for influence not only in Yemen but also in Syria, Lebanon and Iraq. Almost a month ago, the two regional powers signed an agreement with China aimed at resuming diplomatic relations between Tehran and Riyadh.
Those ties were suspended for seven years after protesters in Iran attacked Saudi Arabian diplomatic missions following the execution of a Shia cleric in Riyadh. The agreement that came about on March 10 through China’s mediation provides for both countries to revive their economic ties in addition to resuming relations.
The foreign ministers of both countries held talks in Beijing last Thursday. On Saturday, according to the Saudi Arabian news agency SPA, a “technical delegation” from the kingdom arrived in Iran for a visit lasting several days. In Tehran, the delegation spoke to the chief of protocol at the Iranian Foreign Ministry. It was about the reopening of the embassy and consulates. The chief of protocol promised the delegation any support.
For his part, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Aliresa Enjati announced on Sunday on his country’s state television that two Iranian delegations would travel to Saudi Arabia by Friday, one to the capital Riyadh and the other to Jeddah. The reopening of diplomatic missions in the kingdom should be prepared.
The rapprochement between Sunni-Muslim-majority Saudi Arabia, the world‘s largest oil exporter, and Shia-majority Iran, which is under Western sanctions for its nuclear program, has the potential to reshape the balance of power in a region marred by decades of violence and unrest .
The deal was also a diplomatic success for Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is seeking a stronger global political role for his country. Internationally, the agreement met with largely positive reactions. However, China’s success in mediating between Iran and Saudi Arabia calls into question the role of the USA as a traditional mediator in the Middle East.
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