reported on that day s visit to Damascus, by a Saudi
delegation headed by Saudi
General Intelligence Directorate chief Khalid Al-Humaidan. At a meeting with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad and his special security advisor Ali Mamlouk, the sides agreed to reopen the Saudi Embassy in Damascus, as a first step toward normalizing relations between the two countries. Also according to the daily, the Saudi delegation informed Assad that Saudi Arabia would support Syria s return to the Arab League, from which it had been suspended in 2011. The daily said that the Saudis were taking this step in the context of a Saudi assessment that the U.S. is likely to return to the JCPOA nuclear agreement with Iran and to rescind its sanctions on it.
Iran welcomes change of tone from Saudi Arabia, signalling shift in relations
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh in Tehran, Iran on 5 October 2020 [Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu Agency] April 30, 2021 at 3:14 pm
Iran has welcomed a change of tone from Saudi Arabia, as both countries seem to be open to taking steps to calm tensions and improve cooperation
In a statement yesterday by the Iranian Foreign Ministry s spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh said that by adopting constructive stances…the two countries…can enter a new chapter of interaction and cooperation to reach peace, stability and regional development, by overcoming differences.
Tehran, he added, is a pioneer on the path to regional cooperation and welcomes the change of tone from Saudi Arabia. Khatibzadeh s remarks come days after Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman himself called for a good and special relationship with Iran in a televised interview on Tuesday.
Saudi olive branch for Iran
Saudi olive branch for Iran
April 30, 2021
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prime Mohammed bin Salam has reached out to Iran with a rare message of friendship and peace. In a recent TV interview, Prince Mohammed bin Salman said that he wants “good relations” with Iran, striking a much softer tone than has been seen in recent years between the two regional rivals. The crown prince said Saudi Arabia wants Iran to help push the Middle East towards prosperity and that the kingdom is working with its regional and global allies to find solutions to the issues that plague the relationship.
Zarif tests the waters in Oman for dialogue with Saudis
The three capitals visited by the Iranian foreign minister, Doha, Baghdad and Muscat, share good relations with Tehran.
Thursday 29/04/2021
Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Al-Busaidi (R) receives his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif (L) upon his arrival to the Omani capital, Muscat, on April 28, 2021.
MUSCAT, Oman - Iranian Foreign Minister Muhammad Javad Zarif included the sultanate of Oman in his regional tour that has taken in Qatar and Iraq, amid reports that efforts are being made to bridge the divide between long-standing rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia and launch a dialogue between them.
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Iraqi Foreign Minister Fouad Hussein, right, meets with visiting Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif in Baghdad, Iraq, April 26, 2021. (AP Photo/Khalid Mohammed)
BAGHDAD, Iraq Iran’s foreign minister on Monday praised Baghdad’s efforts aimed at bolstering regional stability, saying he hopes they would lead to “more negotiations and understandings” in the region.
Mohammad Javad Zarif spoke to reporters during a visit to the Iraqi capital, which earlier this month hosted the first round of direct talks between regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran. The talks signaled a possible de-escalation following years of animosity that often spilled into neighboring countries and at least one still-raging war.