search

Iran-Saudi ‘reconciliation is near’ after years of tensions, says Iraqi PM

Al-Kadhimi makes comments in wake of latest round of talks between regional rivals, held in Baghdad

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi poses in his office during an interview with The Associated Press in Baghdad, Iraq, on July 23, 2021. (Khalid Mohammed/AP)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi poses in his office during an interview with The Associated Press in Baghdad, Iraq, on July 23, 2021. (Khalid Mohammed/AP)

BAGHDAD — An end to years of tension between regional rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia is near, Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi said in an interview published on Saturday.

Iraq, a neighbor to both countries, has hosted five rounds of talks over the past year aimed at restoring ties between Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia, and Shiite-majority Iran.

Following the latest round in Baghdad, Iraqi officials have sounded increasingly optimistic, talking of an imminent sixth session and even going so far as to raise the prospect of a resumption in diplomatic relations severed in 2016.

Iran and the Saudi kingdom support rival sides in several conflict zones across the region, including in Yemen where the Houthi rebels are backed by Tehran, and Riyadh leads a military coalition supporting the government.

In 2016, Iranian protesters attacked Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran after the kingdom executed Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr.

Riyadh responded by cutting ties with Tehran.

Iraqi Shiite protesters chant slogans against the Saudi government as they hold posters showing executed Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, Najaf, on January. 4, 2016. (AP/Karim Kadim, File)

“Our brothers in Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Iran approach the dialogue with a big responsibility as demanded by the current regional situation,” Kadhimi said in his interview with the state-owned Al-Sabah newspaper.

“We are convinced that reconciliation is near,” which would benefit regional stability, said Kadhimi, who Iraqi diplomats say attended the most recent meeting.

On Tuesday, the spokesman for Iraq’s Foreign Ministry, Ahmed al-Sahaf, said the talks “are continuing… and could perhaps lead to a restoration of diplomatic representation between Iran and Saudi Arabia,” state news agency INA reported.

In March, Iranian media said that Tehran had suspended participation in the talks after Saudi Arabia announced it had executed a record 81 people in just one day.

They had been convicted of various crimes related to “terrorism,” and included men linked to Yemen’s Houthi rebels.

But in early March, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said his country and Iran were “neighbors forever,” and that it was “better for both of us to work it out and to look for ways in which we can coexist.”

Talks resumed in April 2021 between senior security officials from the two countries.

read more:
Never miss breaking news on Israel
Get notifications to stay updated
You're subscribed
image
Register for free
and continue reading
Registering also lets you comment on articles and helps us improve your experience. It takes just a few seconds.
Already registered? Enter your email to sign in.
Please use the following structure: [email protected]
Or Continue with
By registering you agree to the terms and conditions. Once registered, you’ll receive our Daily Edition email for free.
Register to continue
Or Continue with
Log in to continue
Sign in or Register
Or Continue with
check your email
Check your email
We sent an email to you at .
It has a link that will sign you in.