In order to discuss the future of the ongoing negotiations between Riyadh and Tehran, Iranian and Saudi officials reportedly met on 2 January in Brazil on the sidelines of President Lula da Silva’s inauguration.

Seyed Mohammad Hosseini, vice president for parliamentary affairs for Iran, met with Faisal bin Farhan, Minister of Foreign Affairs for Saudi Arabia, after Brazil’s Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva took office, according to Mehr news agency.

Iran and Saudi Arabia’s discussions, which were mediated by Baghdad, had been hailed as a breakthrough that would help reduce long-standing tensions between the two regional superpowers.

Iraqi sources added that since the past meetings, Tehran asserted that Riyadh was responsible for spreading protest in Iran.

A sixth round of talks has not yet been scheduled, despite Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian stating that Riyadh had assured him of its willingness to continue the dialogue.

Hosseini emphasized the importance of continuing the talks, Mehr reported. According to the report, the Saudi minister stated that Riyadh is determined to discuss the issues.

Beginning in April 2021, Iraq hosted a number of conferences between security officials from the two nations.

Saudi Arabia and Iran support opposing sides in a number of conflicts in the region, particularly in Yemen, where Riyadh has spearheaded a military operation against the Ansarallah movement.

On 14 November, the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar posted an article that disclosed documents exposing Saudi, Bahraini, Emirati, and US involvement in the Iran riots.

The article recalled a statement by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman in 2017 about moving the battle to the Iranian territories to keep the kingdom “safe,” considering that this was the launching point of the strategic endeavor to undermine Iran by striking its internal front.

According to the documents, the target was to spread chaos across the Islamic Republic. The US, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Bahrain led the efforts.

The documents also revealed that the National Media Council in the UAE had proposed a “media strategy” in 2016 to deal with the strategic goal in coordination with the US. 

Al-Manar reported that the plan is based on establishing a public opinion that opposes Iranian policies inside and outside the Islamic Republic.

Meanwhile, on 14 November, Iran called on Saudi Arabia to change its “unfriendly” behavior after accusing Riyadh of encouraging anti-government protests since the death of Mahsa Amini, according to Middle East Monitor.