Iran says it is open to talks with Saudi Arabia in major development
Muslims pray during the first dawn prayers of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, at the Grand Mosque, in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia
IRAN said today that it remained open to talks with regional rival Saudi Arabia following media reports that the two countries had held secret discussion in the Iraqi capital Baghdad.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said that Tehran “has always welcomed talks with the Saudi kingdom and has deemed it beneficial to the two countries’ people and regional peace and stability, and this thought will continue.”
Tehran and Riyadh severed diplomatic ties in January 2019 after an attack on Saudi Arabia’s embassy in the Iranian capital, which followed the execution of a prominent Shi’ite leader in Riyadh.
Similar stories
As tensions rise in the Middle East, the role of Iran in the region’s political balance becomes ever more significant. STEVE BISHOP assesses the current situation
