Iran keen to resume talks with Saudi Arabia

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iran on Monday called for more dialogue with Saudi Arabia to be held, mediated by Iraq, adding that improving relations between Tehran and Riyadh would be beneficial for the region.

“With the implementation of the agreements that were made as a result of the last five rounds of negotiations, we as the Islamic Republic of Iran believe that it is possible for the two countries to enter a better and more constructive stage.” Nasser Kanaani said in his weekly presser.

He added that the resumption in talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia is crucial for taking steps towards improving relations, noting that so far the results of dialogue, carried out with the help of the Iraqi government, has been positive.

Earlier on Monday, Iran’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian met with former Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi, voicing Tehran’s support for the Iraqi government and the countries’ further cooperation, while emphasizing the importance of economic cooperation between both nations.

The two also touched upon resuming direct Saudi-Iranian talks. 

The first round of reconciliation talks between the two rivals was held in April of last year in Baghdad. 

The Sunni kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Shiite-majority Iran have had rocky relations since 1979, when Shiite revolutionaries came to power in Iran and pledged to export their revolution to the world, including Gulf countries.

The two opposing countries relations have further worsened in 2016 when Iranian protestors attacked Saudi diplomatic missions in retaliation to the Sunni kingdom's execution of Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr.

Both nations have also supported opposing forces in several conflict zones across the region, most notably in Yemen, where Iran backs the Houthi rebels while Saudi Arabia leads a military coalition supporting the government.