MBS urged Baghdad to arrange Iran-Saudi meeting: Iraqi FM

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Iraqi Foreign Minister Fouad Hussein revealed that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has pushed senior Iraqi officials to arrange a face-to-face meeting between Riyadh and Tehran's top diplomats, as part of a diplomatic process aimed at healing strained ties between the two neighbors.

Speaking to Iraq's Kurdish-language Rudaw television news network on Sunday evening, the Iraqi Foreign Minister stated that "Mohammed bin Salman asked senior Iraqi officials to set up a meeting between Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian [in the Iraqi capital city of Baghdad]. We are currently organizing the event, and the date and time will be disclosed later."

Elsewhere in his remarks, he noted that the confidential negotiations will be disclosed through Iraq’s mediation, adding that the Iranian and Saudi foreign ministers will meet in public.

Earlier this month, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan said that his country has communicated with Iran and is trying to find a path to dialogue between the two countries.

Negotiations between the two parties started in the spring of 2021 in a bid to mend relations between the two countries, which saw them holding five rounds of negotiations in the Iraqi capital, and, despite their positive impacts on their bilateral relations, Tehran suspended the talks due to Riyadh executing en masse 81 nationals and residents under the pretext of involvement in "terrorism".

It is noteworthy that diplomatic ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia grew strained following the execution of Sheikh Nimr Baqir Al-Nimr in January 2016. Sheikh Al-Nimr was a vocal critic of the Saudi government. The Sheikh raised his voice against corruption and political injustice inflicted on marginalized groups that constitute minorities in different regions of the Kingdom, notably Al-Qatif.

Iran and the Saudi monarchy are particularly at odds due to the war on Yemen, where Riyadh leads a military coalition backing the government and aggression afflicts the lives of thousands of Yemenis for over 7 years.

The relations grew even more strained lately as a result of Saudi Arabia's support of the riots that took place in late 2021 in Iran, particularly through their media arm, Iran International, which spread disinformation in order to push people to take to the streets.