Saudi Arabia confirmed on Sunday that it held the first round of direct talks with Iran's new government last month as part of a negotiation process that began earlier this year to reduce tensions between the two rival neighboring countries. The two long-time adversaries, which severed their relations in 2016, started discussions in April when the United States and Iran were discussing the revival of the Iranian nuclear deal, which Riyadh and its allies opposed.
Three rounds of Saudi-Iranian talks were held in Iraq in the months leading up to the inauguration of Iran's new president, the hardliner Ebrahim Raisi, in August. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan stated that the latest round of talks took place on September 21, without specifying the location of the meeting. The date coincides with Raisi's speech at the new session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The Saudi minister mentioned in a joint press conference with Josep Borrell, the EU foreign policy chief, "These talks are still in an exploratory phase. We hope they will lay the groundwork for addressing the outstanding issues between the two sides, and we will strive and work to achieve that." For years, Saudi Arabia and Iran have supported opposing sides in regional conflicts and political disputes in Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq. Saudi Arabia leads a military coalition conducting a war against the Iran-backed Houthi group in Yemen since 2015.
Both Riyadh and Tehran expressed hope that the talks would ease tensions between them, but they downplayed expectations for significant diplomatic progress. Iran has yet to comment on the direct talks on September 21. Riyadh stated it would judge Raisi's government by its actions. The indirect talks between the United States and Iran regarding the revival of the nuclear agreement stalled in June. Prince Faisal bin Farhan spoke during Borrell's visit to Saudi Arabia, where Borrell informed partners about signs of a resumption of nuclear talks.
