Illustrative image of flags of Iran and Saudi Arabia (Photo Credit Getty images)
A top advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader said on 19 October, that Iran and Saudi Arabia must reopen their embassies to facilitate a rapprochement between the two regional rivals, according to ISNA news agency.
“We are neighbors of Saudi Arabia and we must coexist. The embassies of the two countries should reopen in order to solve our problems in a better way,” according to advisor Ali Akbar Velayati.
On 24 August, the Iranian Ambassador to Kuwait Mohammad Irani stated that both Riyadh and Tehran are willing to put into place the sixth round of negotiations between representatives of Saudi Arabia and Iran. The negotiations would take place in Baghdad, but would need to wait due to the “latest developments in Iraq.”
So far, representatives of both countries have met five times in Baghdad for different rounds of talks. The last time was in April.
“There is an agreement on resuming discussions with a sixth-round… but we must wait for an Iraqi invitation after the current events in Iraq,” Mohammad Irani said.
The sixth round of talks was scheduled for last month, however, due to the “developments in Iraq,” it was delayed until further notice.
On the other hand, the US government is reevaluating its relationship with Saudi Arabia, accusing the Gulf state of using its influence in the decision of OPEC+ to reduce oil output by 2 million barrels per day, according to a White House statement released on Monday, 10 October.
In response to the output cuts, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said in an interview with CNN that “this is a relationship that we need to continue to reevaluate, that we need to be willing to revisit, and certainly in light of the OPEC decision, I think that’s where he is.”
The move is considered a major pressure point on the global economy, especially across the west, which is battling runaway inflation.
According to CNN, US President Joe Biden tried to pressure allies in the Gulf to prevent a major cut in oil production, with White House officials going as far as to describe the move as a potential “hostile act.”