The Iranian flag flies in front of the headquarters of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, Austria, March 1, 2021. REUTERS / Lisi Niesner
Senior Saudi and Iranian officials have been in direct talks in an attempt to repair their relations, four years after they severed diplomatic ties, the Financial Times reported on Sunday, citing officials informed of the talks.
The first round of Saudi-Iranian talks took place in Baghdad on April 9 and included talks on attacks on Saudi Arabia by Iran’s Houthi group, aligned with Iran, the FT report added, citing one official.
The talks were positive, the official told FT.
FT also said that a senior Saudi official denied that there had been talks with Iran. Lebanon pro-Iran television channel Al Mayadeen and the Unews news agency quoted an Iranian source on Sunday as denying talks with Saudi Arabia.
Saudi authorities did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment, and Iranian officials were not immediately available.
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. Read more
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