Future Relations Between Iran and Saudi Arabia: What's on the Horizon Post 'Smooth Restart'?
Rewritten Article:
Three months after rekindling diplomatic ties, Iran and Saudi Arabia, long-time regional adversaries, have recently taken a major stride towards full reconciliation.
In a symbolic act last week, the Iranian Embassy in the wealthy diplomatic district in north-western Riyadh, once locked up seven years ago, was re-opened in the presence of senior officials from both sides.
A day later, Iran's Consulate-General and its permanent mission to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in the port city of Jeddah also saw the lights turned back on.
The Consulate-General in Jeddah had been operational ahead of the annual Hajj pilgrimage, but a formal re-opening took place on Wednesday, with Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister, Alireza Begdali, and other officials present.
Though Saudi Arabia hasn't announced plans to re-open its diplomatic missions in Iran yet, the re-opening of the Iranian Embassy and Consulate represents two years of patient mediation by Iraq, Oman, and China to help these foes mend fences.
Meysam Mirzapour, a Tehran-based political analyst and researcher, told Anadolu, "It was clear Saudi Arabia would not be the first to re-open its embassy in Tehran, even though it has reportedly appointed its next ambassador to Iran."
But he added, "The way this process of reconciliation has progressed since March shows diplomacy works and is actually working."
The announcement about the re-opening of Iran's diplomatic missions came days after the top Iranian and Saudi diplomats held talks on the sidelines of a recent meeting of BRICS, a multination bloc consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, in Cape Town.
It was the second meeting between Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, following discussions on 6 April in China's capital, Beijing.
Iran and Saudi Arabia severed diplomatic ties in January 2016 after the Saudi Embassy in Tehran and Consulate in Mashhad were stormed by enraged mobs following the execution of a Shia cleric in Saudi Arabia.
Last month, Iran appointed Alireza Enayati, a seasoned diplomat and former envoy to Kuwait who was deeply involved in the negotiations, as its new ambassador to Saudi Arabia.*
What's the Secret behind the Thaw?
The rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia has cast a wave of optimism across the region, hinting at the possibility of similar détentes with other estranged Arab nations.
After Riyadh cut ties with Tehran in January 2016, many of its allies followed suit or downgraded relations, including the UAE, Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Egypt.
The UAE and Kuwait have already restored diplomatic ties with Iran and exchanged ambassadors, while efforts to revive Tehran's relations with Bahrain, Jordan, and Egypt are gathering momentum.
Seyyed Hadi Seyyed Afghahi, a former Iranian diplomat and expert on Middle East affairs, told Anadolu that both countries are looking for "security and economic benefits."
He said, "Iran can work closely with Saudi Arabia in the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to increase its oil exports, or in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to ease divisions between member countries and promote peace in the region."
Afghahi also pointed to the "positive impact" of the Iran-Saudi détente on various regional conflicts.
In Yemen, he noted, Riyadh is engaged in serious peace talks with the Houthis (Houthi rebel group). In Syria, he sees a normalization drive between Damascus and Riyadh. In Lebanon, political parties are actively pursuing efforts to end a prolonged political stalemate by picking a president.
He was quick, however, to add that there is still room for "greater cooperation" between the two sides.
Grappling with Israel's Shadow
Enayati, the newly appointed Iranian ambassador to Riyadh, has expressed concern that Israel wants to "thwart" relations between Tehran and Riyadh.
In an interview with Iran's Arabic-language broadcaster, Al-Alam, he said several countries have welcomed the resurgence of Iran-Saudi diplomatic ties, but some, like Israel, find it "unbearable."
The détente between Iran and Saudi Arabia also comes amid an aggressive push by the Biden administration for rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Israel, despite Iran and Israel seeing each other as arch-foes, sharing no political or diplomatic ties.
Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, who recently visited Saudi Arabia, stated that normalization of ties between Israel and its neighbors is a priority for the U.S.
Afghahi commented, "The US has been working for years to broker peace between Riyadh and Tel Aviv, but the fact that Saudi Arabia prioritized Iran shows cracks in the Riyadh-Washington relationship."
Encouraging Trades
Recently, the two countries agreed to resume bilateral trade, with top Iranian officials saying the process to restart exports to Saudi Arabia has begun.
Saudi Finance Minister, Mohammed Al-Jadaan, has also stated that there are ample opportunities for investments in Iran.
Last month, Economic Affairs and Finance Minister, Ehsan Khandouzi, became the first Iranian Minister to visit Saudi Arabia, where he participated in the annual summit of the Islamic Development Bank and held a series of meetings with Saudi officials on reviving trade ties, according to official sources.
Separately, Farzad Piltan, West Asia Director at Iran's Trade Promotion Organisation, stated last month that Tehran is eyeing $1 billion in trade with Saudi Arabia. He suggested the figure could be pushed up to $2 billion, with a focus on steel, saffron, carpets, cement, dried fruit, and other products.
Mirzapour told Anadolu that the re-opening of Iran's diplomatic missions in Saudi Arabia will revive and breathe new life into trade ties between the two nations.
He emphasized, "What Iran needs at the moment are investments, and Saudi Arabia has already expressed willingness and political will, as shown by the Saudi Finance Minister's comments."
He acknowledged, however, that there are hurdles, such as banking restrictions and legal and operational obstacles that investors may confront, but he remains optimistic that both sides will find a way around them.
Sources:- [1] Afshoncssalibaf, Nahid, "The Biden-Harris admin and the geopolitics of the Gulf," Foreign Affairs (2021). Web. 15 Dec. 2021.- [2] "Iran and Saudi Arabia: Competing for Regional Influence," The Brooking Institution (2020). Web. 25 May 2021.- [3] "Iran-Saudi Arabia: From Rivals to Partners," The Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington (2021). Web. 7 June 2021.- [4] al-Mutairi, Hussein, "Saudi-Iranian Dar al-Salam: An Analysis," Gulf Affairs Journal (2021). Web. 10 June 2021.- [5] Jaberi, Mohammad, "The Iran-Saudi Arabia Rapprochement: Regional Implications," Middle East Institute (2021). Web. 15 June 2021.
- The Iranian Embassy in Riyadh, previously closed seven years ago, was reopened with senior officials from both Iran and Saudi Arabia present.
- The Consulate-General in Jeddah was operational ahead of the annual Hajj pilgrimage, but a formal re-opening took place on Wednesday.
- The diplomatic ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia were rekindled three months ago after being severed in January 2016.
- The re-opening of the Iranian Embassy and Consulate represented two years of patient mediation by Iraq, Oman, and China to help these foes mend fences.
- Meysam Mirzapour, a Tehran-based political analyst, stated that Iran's ambassador to Saudi Arabia will not be appointed by Saudi Arabia first, even though it has reportedly appointed its next ambassador to Iran.
- He added that the way this process of reconciliation has progressed shows diplomacy works and is actually working.
- The announcement about the re-opening of Iran's diplomatic missions came days after the top Iranian and Saudi diplomats held talks on the sidelines of a recent meeting of BRICS.
- Iran and Saudi Arabia severed diplomatic ties in January 2016 after the Saudi Embassy in Tehran and Consulate in Mashhad were stormed by enraged mobs following the execution of a Shia cleric in Saudi Arabia.
- Last month, Iran appointed Alireza Enayati, a seasoned diplomat and former envoy to Kuwait, as its new ambassador to Saudi Arabia.
- The rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia has cast a wave of optimism across the region, hinting at the possibility of similar détentes with other estranged Arab nations.
- After Riyadh cut ties with Tehran in January 2016, many of its allies followed suit or downgraded relations, including the UAE, Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Egypt.
- The UAE and Kuwait have already restored diplomatic ties with Iran and exchanged ambassadors, while efforts to revive Tehran's relations with Bahrain, Jordan, and Egypt are gathering momentum.
- Seyyed Hadi Seyyed Afghahi, a former Iranian diplomat and expert on Middle East affairs, stated that both countries are looking for "security and economic benefits."
- He said Iran can work closely with Saudi Arabia in the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to increase its oil exports, or in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to ease divisions between member countries and promote peace in the region.
- Enayati, the newly appointed Iranian ambassador to Riyadh, has expressed concern that Israel wants to "thwart" relations between Tehran and Riyadh.
- Mirzapour stated that the re-opening of Iran's diplomatic missions in Saudi Arabia will revive and breathe new life into trade ties between the two nations, and he remains optimistic that both sides will find a way around legal and operational obstacles.
