Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince meets Iran’s foreign minister in highest-level talks since reconciliation

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman engaged in a historic meeting with Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian on August 18, marking the highest-level talks between the two nations since their reconciliation in March, Reuters reported. This reconciliation followed years of bitter rivalry that had destabilised the region.

After the meeting, Iran's Foreign Minister announced that the Saudi Crown Prince had accepted an invitation to visit Tehran, Iran's semi-official news agency Tasnim reported.

The meeting comes as Saudi Arabia, led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has been working to reorient its foreign policy amid challenges in its historically close relationship with the United States.

The talks in Jeddah were characterised as “frank, beneficial, and productive,” Abdollahian said in a social media post after meeting the prince, with both sides emphasising agreement on regional “security and development.”

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For years, Iran and Saudi Arabia had been engaged in a bitter rivalry for influence in various Middle Eastern countries. Rivalry between Iran's revolutionary, Shi'ite Muslim leaders and Saudi Arabia's Sunni ruling family dominated the Middle East. This rivalry had led to sectarian tensions and conflicts in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, and Bahrain.

China played a pivotal role in brokering the reconciliation in March, leading to the resumption of full diplomatic relations. Saudi Arabia had severed ties with Iran in 2016 after an attack on its Tehran embassy over Riyadh's execution of a prominent Shi'ite cleric.

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Both sides have now found reasons to change their approach. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei seeks to end its political and economic isolation, partly driven by US policies, and views improved relations with Saudi Arabia as a means to achieve this goal, Iranian officials stated.

Saudi Arabia, on the other hand, has sought to diversify its international partnerships, particularly with China, due to concerns about US commitment to regional security. This move aligns with Saudi efforts to strengthen relations with China, which has maintained friendly ties with Iran. Earlier this month it succeeded in getting China to attend a diplomatic meeting on Ukraine that Beijing had earlier avoided.

Additionally, Prince Faisal in a telephonic conversation with US Secretary General Antony Blinken discussed greater coordination to enhance “security and stability in the Middle East region”, as reported by Saudi state media on Friday.

(With inputs from Reuters)