Better grounds needed for Iran-Saudi talks: analyst

Sabah Zanganeh, Iran’s former representative to the Organization for Islamic Cooperation (OIC), told ILNA, “If the negotiations had been held in a stable situation and the capitals were constantly updated about the developments, it was more likely that we would witness some progress in the talks now.”

The remarks came after Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan, in an interview with state-run Al Arabiya news network on Tuesday said five rounds of Iraq-mediated reconciliation negotiations with Iran have so far failed to produce “tangible” results.

Zanganeh said the domestic developments in Iran in recent weeks following the death of a young Iranian woman in police custody, as well as the tension in the relations between Saudi Arabia and the United States, following the recent cut in oil production by OPEC+, have had adverse effects on the talks between Tehran and Riyadh.

He pointed out that Iran, as a rival to the regional powerhouse Saudi Arabia, needs to restore stability and put things in order at home before engaging in constructive dialogue to reach a mutually beneficial outcome.

On the other hand, Saudi de factor ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is engaged in tensions with US President Joe Biden and moving the bulk of his country’s foreign investments to Russia, another development that towers over reconciliation talks with Iran, Zanganeh noted.