Saudi Crown Prince hosts Iranian Foreign Minister

Saudi Crown Prince Meets Iranian Foreign Minister⁣ in Historic Talks

Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met Iran’s foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian on Friday in the highest-level talks since the countries reconciled in March after⁢ years of bitter rivalry that ​destabilized the region.

The unscheduled meeting in Jeddah comes a day⁤ after Amirabdollahian arrived in the⁣ kingdom and declared ties between the countries ‌were “on the right ⁤track” following talks with his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan.

“Discussions were frank, beneficial and productive,” Amirabdollahian said in a social media post after meeting ‍the ​de facto Saudi ruler, adding⁢ that the countries “agree‍ on the security and development of all in the region”.

Mohammed bin ​Salman, widely known ‌as MbS, has pushed to reorient Saudi foreign policy in recent years amid troubles in its historically close relationship⁢ with the⁣ United States.

Footage of the ‌meeting on⁤ Iranian state⁣ media showed MbS and Amirabdollahian smiling as ⁢they spoke, while‍ Prince Faisal and the Iranian delegation looked on. Saudi state news agency SPA said they discussed international and regional developments.

Rivalry between Iran’s revolutionary, Shi’ite Muslim leaders and ⁤Saudi ⁢Arabia’s⁤ Sunni ruling family dominated ‍the Middle East for years as they competed for​ influence in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen,⁤ and​ Bahrain amid a wave of sectarian bloodshed.

However, China brokered a rapprochement ​in March leading to ⁣a resumption of full diplomatic relations, which Saudi Arabia had broken off in 2016 when protesters ​attacked its Tehran embassy⁣ over⁤ Riyadh’s execution of a prominent Shi’ite cleric.

Prince Faisal visited Tehran in June and said he hoped‍ Iranian president Ebrahim⁢ Raisi would visit the kingdom​ at the “appropriate time”.

After years of ⁢competition, and with some of the main regional arenas for their competition more stable than in previous years, both sides have reason to change tack.

Iran’s Supreme Leader⁤ Ayatollah ‌Ali Khamenei wanted to end political and economic isolation pushed by the United States and saw new⁢ relations with⁤ Saudi Arabia as a way to do so, Iranian officials have ‌said.

Saudi Arabia⁣ had meanwhile lost confidence in U.S. commitment to shared regional‍ security⁢ concerns and wanted to bolster ties with China, which has retained good relations⁢ with Iran. This⁤ month⁣ it succeeded in getting China to⁢ attend a diplomatic meeting on Ukraine that Beijing had earlier‍ avoided.

Prince​ Faisal also spoke ‌by phone with U.S. secretary of ⁢state Antony Blinken, with the pair discussing more coordination to boost “security ‍and stability in‌ the Middle⁢ East region,” Saudi state media reported on ‍Friday.

(Reporting by Dubai Newsroom;⁣ Writing by Angus McDowall; Editing by Mark Potter and Conor Humphries)