Iran, Saudi Arabia hold 1st high-level contact since 2016

By Syed Zafar Mehdi

TEHRAN, Iran (AA) – Iran’s foreign minister says he had a "friendly conversation" with his Saudi counterpart on the sidelines of the Baghdad summit in Amman, in the first high-level contact between the two sides since 2016.

In a tweet on Wednesday, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan expressed his country's willingness to continue tension-easing talks with the Islamic Republic.

"My Saudi counterpart assured me of his country's willingness to continue the dialogue with Iran," the top diplomat said.

The two Persian Gulf neighbors severed their diplomatic ties after the Saudi diplomatic mission in Tehran was attacked by angry mob in January 2016 over the execution of a Saudi Shia cleric, Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr.

Since April last year, the two countries have been holding talks to restore diplomatic relations, brokered by Baghdad. Both Tehran and Baghdad have noted progress but the breakthrough has been eluding.

Late last month, Iraq’s foreign ministry said the protracted talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia have made progress and are set to move from security to the diplomatic phase, adding that Baghdad is trying to bring the positions of the two sides closer.

Iraq’s new Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani at his first press conference on Nov. 2 also said he hopes to continue hosting talks between the two neighbors.

Prior to Amir-Abdollahian's visit to Amman, speculation was rife that a meeting with his Saudi counterpart was on the agenda.

Meanwhile, the Iranian foreign minister said he also held talks with his counterparts from Oman, Qatar, Iraq, and Kuwait on Tuesday.

Amir-Abdollahian also sat down with his French counterpart Catherine Colonna on the sidelines of the summit.

In a tweet, the top diplomat said he "considered France's interference in our internal affairs unacceptable" and called for "reconsideration of France's positions" while agreeing that "the path of dialogue and diplomacy is preferable".

On Tuesday, Amir-Abdollahian also held delegation-level talks with European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell in a bid to resume stalled talks in Vienna aimed at the revival of the 2015 nuclear agreement.

The high-profile summit, hosted by the Jordanian government at the initiative of French President Emmanuel Macron, aims to "provide support for the stability, security, and prosperity of Iraq", according to the French presidency.