Iraj Masjedi: Fifth Round of Iran-Saudi Arabia Talks to Be Held Soon in Iraq
Iraj Masjedi, ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Iraq, said on Wednesday that Baghdad will “soon” host the fifth round of talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia.
According to IRNA, Iraj Masjedi said in an interview with “Al-Ahd News Network Iraq”: “Baghdad has so far hosted four rounds of talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia and will soon host the fifth round as well.”
Brigadier General Iraj Masjedi, who before his appointment as Iran’s ambassador to Baghdad in 2016 was a senior adviser to Qasem Soleimani, the then commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, referring to “the great potential and capacities between Iran and Saudi Arabia,” stated: “Countries in the region can resolve their differences away from American dictates.”
Saudi Arabian officials have not yet responded to Iraj Masjedi’s remarks.
The government of Mustafa al-Kadhimi, Prime Minister of Iraq, has made efforts since the beginning of the current Persian year to reduce tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia. In Farvardin (March-April) of the current year, international media reported that senior officials of the Islamic Republic and Saudi Arabia held “direct” talks in Baghdad six years after the severance of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
These media outlets reported, citing Iraqi officials and Western diplomats, that during the first round of these talks, delegations of the two countries headed by Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, and Khalid bin Ali al-Humaidan, head of Saudi Arabia’s intelligence ministry, met in Baghdad.
Although Saudi Arabia and, subsequently, several Persian Gulf monarchies had tense relations with Tehran since the Islamic Republic of Iran came to power, a series of events in late 2015 and early 2016 led to a major crisis between Tehran and Riyadh and the complete severance of relations between the two countries.
Following the execution of several Shiites, including Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, a prominent Shiite cleric in Saudi Arabia, whom Saudi Arabia executed in late 2015, a number of hardline forces in Iran attacked Saudi Arabia’s embassy in Tehran and its consulate in Mashhad in January 2016.
Iran and Saudi Arabia are on opposing sides in several conflicts in Middle Eastern countries. In the Yemen war, Iran supports Houthi militants, while Saudi Arabia supports Yemen’s legitimate government.
Nevertheless, Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister said on Monday that if Iran stops threatening the security and stability of the region, Arab countries will extend their hands toward it.
Prince Faisal bin Farhan added that Iran’s support for terrorist militias and pursuit of a nuclear weapons program are among the factors destabilizing the region.
Source: Radio Farda
