Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan confirmed that “the fourth round of talks [between Iran and Saudi Arabia] took place on 21 September”, adding: “these discussions remain in the exploratory phase. We hope they lay the foundation to address the issues between the two sides and we will work to achieve that”. U.S. Special Representative for Iran Robert Malley praised the announcement, and expressed hope that “dialogue will contribute to de-escalation of tensions and address long-standing regional concerns”. “Full, mutual return to the JCPOA would support these regional efforts”, he added.