nCa Analysis
Iran and Saudi Arabia are dynamically keeping to their commitment. So many things are happening all of a sudden.
As reported earlier, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed on 10 March 2023 to restore diplomatic relations. The talks between Ali Shamkhani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, and Saudi national security adviser Musaad bin Mohammed al-Aiban were held in Beijing and actively facilitated by the leadership of China.
Wang Yi, China’s most senior diplomat, was present during the signing of the deal that envisaged the restoration of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran and reopening of the embassies in each other’s capitals within two months.
It was agreed that the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and Iran will meet in the run-up to the reopening of the embassies.
The relations between the two countries were severed in 2016 when Saudi Arabia executed a prominent Shia Muslim scholar.
Iran and Saudi Arabia have wasted no time. — In less than month from the deal signed in Beijing, Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, met in Beijing and held talks. On 6 April 2023, they expressed readiness to remove all impediments to the expansion of bilateral ties.
According to the media reports, they also agreed to develop cooperation in any field that can ensure the security and stability of the region as well as the interests of its nations.
They further underscored the importance of dialog on ways to bolster bilateral relations and activate a security cooperation agreement, as well as a general cooperation deal in the fields of economy, trade, investment, technology, science, culture, sports and youth.
In their joint statement, Iran and Saudi Arabia also agreed to reopen their embassies in Tehran and Riyadh, together with consulate generals in Mashhad and Jeddah within a deadline already specified.
They also agreed to keep up coordination between the two countries’ technical teams in order to examine resuming flights and visits by official delegations and those by the private sector, as well as facilitating visa process for their citizens, including for the Umrah pilgrimage.
Both the ministers invited each other for visit to their countries.
This was the outcome of several rounds of talks between the two ministers individually, and in larger format with their delegations. China as a host participated in some of these meetings.
Immediately after the talks between the foreign ministers in Beijing, a Saudi delegation arrived in Tehran on 8 April 2023 to discuss the procedure for the reopening of the embassy in Tehran and consulate in Mashhad.
A bit earlier, on 3 April 2023, Keyvan Kashefi, a member of the presiding board of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA), said during a meeting that ICCIMA is following up on the launch of the joint chamber of commerce with Saudi Arabia.
Iran plans to begin the exchange of business delegations with Saudi Arabia immediately after the reopening of the embassies in the two countries and the reinstatement of their ambassadors, he added.
The Chinese media reported on 3 April 2023 that the Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has accepted an invitation from King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia for a visit to Saudi capital of Riyadh.
On 19 March 2023, Mohammad Jamshidi, the Iranian president’s deputy chief of staff for political affairs, tweeted that the Saudi king had written the Iranian president an invitation letter to visit Riyadh.
Commenting on Iran’s ties with Saudi Arabia and other Arab states in the region, Mokhber said the improvement of relations with regional countries has been among the major strategies pursued by the Raisi administration since the president took office.
On 12 March 2023, we wrote in our analytical report: “With the diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia back on the track, there is strong hope that the conflict in Yemen could end in the near future. The people of Yemen are suffering for the last eight years. Even if the peace is found right away, it will take decades and massive funds to return Yemen to the pre-conflict level.”
Saudi Arabia and Iran have agreed to resume diplomatic relations in deal brokered by China. This is great breakthrough with lots of possibilities.
We wrote further, “The peace in Syria is also a real possibility now. This is particularly urgent because of the death and destruction caused by the recent earthquakes in Syria (and Turkey). Another potential beneficiary of the deal is Iraq where the sides backed by Iran and Saudi Arabia are frequently at loggerheads.”
This has actually started happening sooner than expected.
The regional and global media reports that Saudi Arabia is leading efforts to formally bring Syrian President Bashar al-Assad back into the Arab inner circle as early as next month.
The kingdom is taking steps that would allow the Arab League grouping of regional states to end a suspension of Syria’s membership in time for a summit in Riyadh in mid-May. It will depend on whether the internal consensus within the Arab League can be built within this short time.
The UAE, an important member of the Arab League, is reportedly in favour of welcoming Syria back to the League.
Meanwhile, a Saudi delegation has started its visit to Yemen on 9 April 2023. This is the first time in eight years that a Saudi delegation is visiting Yemen.
The talks are taking place with the Ansarullah movement (Houthi movement) and the Yemeni National Salvation Government. An Omani delegation is also taking part in the talks.
It is hoped that the talks would lead to the end of the war in Yemen and the cessation of the external interference in Yemen.
With peace (and optimistically, harmony) across the Gulf region, there is so much that can be done, and must be done, for the sake of shared destiny of the people.
The only risk is that some external players, or their proxies, could attempt to derail the ongoing processes. /// nCa, 10 April 2023 [photo credit – MehrNews]