Saudi and Iranian officials held talks to resume relations – FT

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Senior Saudi and Iranian officials have been in direct talks in a bid to mend ties between the two regional rivals, four years after they severed diplomatic ties, the Financial Times reported on Sunday, citing officials close to the talks.

The first round of Saudi-Iranian talks took place in Baghdad on April 9, included talks on attacks on Saudi Arabia by the Iranian-aligned Houthi group in Yemen and were positive, the FT report added, citing one official.

Saudi authorities did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment, and Iranian officials were not immediately available for comment. The FT said a senior Saudi official denied any talks with Iran.

The Iraqi prime minister visited Saudi Arabia late last month.

The report comes as Washington and Tehran try to revive a 2015 nuclear deal opposed by Riyadh and as the United States pressures to end the conflict in Yemen, seen in the region as a war of empowerment between Saudi Arabia and Iran. .

Riyadh has called for a stronger nuclear deal and said the Gulf Arab states should join any negotiations on the deal to ensure that this time it will address Iran’s missile program and its support for regional representatives.

Saudi Arabia and its allies have backed former US President Donald Trump’s decision in 2018 to drop the world powers’ nuclear deal and re-impose sanctions on Tehran, which has responded by violating several restrictions on its nuclear activities.

A Saudi foreign ministry official told Reuters last week that confidence-building measures could pave the way for extensive talks with Gulf Arabs.

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