Tehran (AsiaNews) – The thawing of relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia appears to be holding following a possible face-to-face meeting between high-ranking officials from the two countries in Baghdad, and the recent overtures by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Iran welcomed the “change in tone” by Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, expressing hope that the two countries could work together to ensure peace and stability in the Middle East, echoing bin Salman’s remarks.
Speaking about the crown prince’s interview, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said that “With constructive views and a dialogue-oriented approach, Iran and Saudi Arabia ... can enter a new chapter of interaction and cooperation to achieve peace, stability and regional development by overcoming differences”.
Following a regional tour during which he met with the Chaldean patriarch, Card Louis Raphael Sako, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also welcomed the positive developments.
During their tête-à-tête, the two discussed the possibility of a papal visit in Iran, which Minister Zarif hopes to see happen. On twitter, he said that he saw “Indications of positive signs on horizon”.
Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden and his Democratic administration appear to be ready to relax some of the sanctions imposed by former President Donald Trump on Iran.
Such a step would serve two purposes; on the one hand, it would end Trump’s policy of "maximum pressure" on Iran; on the other, it would make it easier to restart talks over the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which Trump had scrapped.
