Iran officially confirms talks with Saudis

Iran’s foreign ministry today for the first time confirmed the Islamic republic is holding talks with regional rival Saudi Arabia, but said it is “too soon” to discuss the results.

Media reports, later confirmed by diplomatic and Iraqi government sources, revealed that Iranian and Saudi officials met in Baghdad in April, their first high-level meeting since Riyadh cut diplomatic ties with Tehran in 2016.

Iran on April 29 welcomed a “change of tone” from the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz towards it after he called for a “good and special relationship” with Tehran.

The regional rivals have backed opposite sides of several regional conflicts, from Syria to Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition is fighting the Houthi militias.

Iran backs the Houthis, who are battling the Saudi-led military that intervened in Yemen’s war in 2015.

Some sources said last month that Tehran had promised to use its influence to halt Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, in return asking Riyadh to support the nuclear talks.

Saudi Arabia continues to be wary of Iran’s role in Syria and Lebanon and even more so of Tehran’s meddling with the Yemen war, even if they are not opposed to the calming of tensions across the Middle East after years of hostilities that have brought the region close to a full-scale conflict.