Saudi Arabia's new regional strategy

The agenda of the Saudi-Iranian talks is usually shrouded very much in secrecy, but private sources have mentioned the possible discussion of such issues as the future of the conflict in Syria, the formation of a Lebanese government and a ceasefire in Yemen.

Even if Iraq is the host country for the secret dialogue between Iran and Saudi Arabia, sources say Tehran and Riyadh are likely to avoid delving into Iraq-related issues.

Observers believe that the new Saudi momentum towards crossing the past “red lines” with Iran comes in response to the Biden administration’s pressure which the Saudis see as gradually painting Riyadh into a corner and pushing it to make concessions that do not take into account its own national security imperatives.

They note that when Riyadh has expressed willingness to open direct dialogue with Iran, it pulled the rug from under the feet of those who seek to use Tehran as scarecrow in order to blackmail Saudi Arabia.

The United States has cautiously responded to confirmation that its Middle East rival, Iran, has been holding rare talks with U.S. ally Saudi Arabia on reviving strained relations between the two neighboring regional powers.

But expectations remain restrained regarding the outcome of the dialogue between Riyadh and Tehran and at what level it should be held in the future, as there are indications that it will be difficult at this stage to raise the level of representation of the two countries in the talks.

Observers express their belief that any Saudi-Iranian understanding will require many rounds, which may take a few months, before any agreement is reached.

The Saudi pivot towards Iran showed that the statements made by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in his recent TV interview, in which he stressed Riyadh’s desire to establish “good and distinguished” relationship with Iran was not a mere maneuver. It was instead part of a Saudi strategy aimed at reshaping the country’s regional environment and forging new interest-based relations.