The secret conversations between her Of Saudi Arabia and its great rival Iran are a sign of turning to diplomacy after years of tensions and proxy wars, as the Gulf kingdom tries to find a way out of its quagmire. Yemen, reports the RES.
Delegation from Saudi Arabia under intelligence chief Khalid bin Ali al-Humaydan met with Iranian officials in Baghdad on April 9, and more are expected this month, according to several sources.
This dialogue is the first real attempt to defuse tensions between the two regional powers, after severing ties in 2016 when Iranian protesters outraged by the execution by Saudi authorities of a Shiite cleric attacked the country’s diplomatic missions.
Riyadh is now seeking Tehran’s support to emerge from the stalemate in Yemen, a costly six-year military operation aimed at backing the government.
Iranian-backed Houthi rebels launched a new operation in February to seize Marib, the government’s last stronghold in northern Yemen.
Amid efforts in Baghdad, a U.S. delegation led by Special Envoy Tim Lenderking and Senator Chris Murphy met last week in Oman with UN envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths, who is hoping for a ceasefire. destruction.
“There is a direct link between the talks between Saudi Arabia and Iran and what is happening in Muscat, given the Iranian influence on the Houthis,” said Ahmed Nagy, a researcher at the Carnegie Middle East Center.
“All efforts are aimed at de-escalating the conflict between the Saudis and the Houthis,” he added.
Message to the Biden government
Saudi Arabia and Iran have supported opposing sides in many regional conflicts, from Syria to Yemen. Riyadh sees Tehran-backed militant groups as a major threat, most notably the Houthis, who have stepped up their attacks on oil facilities in Saudi Arabia.
Recent diplomatic efforts come as US President Joe Biden seeks to revive the 2015 Iran Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (JCPOA), from which Donald Trump’s predecessor unilaterally released the United States in 2018.
Saudi Arabia, a Sunni power that is particularly concerned about the spread of Shiite Iranian influence in the region, hopes to have “a place in a room next to the negotiating table,” said a Western official familiar with the matter.
“There is nothing more important in the dialogue between Saudi Arabia and Iran,” said Cynthia Bianco, a researcher on the Gulf region at the European Council on External Relations (ECFR).
According to her, this diplomatic shift is aimed at exchanging “Yemen with the JCPOA”, with Riyadh raising tones over Iran’s nuclear program in the hope that Tehran will help it find a solution to the crisis in Yemen.
A source from the Saudi government warned that the kingdom expects little from its dialogue with Iran after years of intense rivalry.
The talks, however, allow Riyadh “to show the Biden government that we are reasonable and open to dialogue,” the source added.
With its image tarnished by a thunderous foreign policy and the intense repression of all dissidents inside the country, Saudi Arabia is trying to shed tones on many fronts in the Middle East.
In January, Riyadh reconciled with Qatar after accusing it for more than three years of supporting extremists and causing problems in the region.
But his main concern remains Yemen, a war that has killed tens of thousands of people, according to NGOs, and plunged the country into the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, according to the UN.
“The Houthis would prefer to talk to Saudi Arabia and would not want Iran to take their place,” warned Elana DeLozier, a researcher at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
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