Progress in restoring relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia has sputtered over a year after China brokered a rapprochement. To get it going again, the two states will need to contain disagreements while they work to advance in less political domains.
Authorities condemned Israel for assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and conducted diplomacy with Iran to prevent wider Middle East escalation.
Riyadh appealed to Iran for limited retaliation against Israel. Following assassination of Haniyeh late July in Iranian capital Tehran, FM Prince Faisal bin Farhan reportedly engaged with Iranian officials pushing for de-escalation and limited retaliation against Israel. During Organization of Islamic Cooperation meeting in Jeddah city, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Walid al-Khuraiji 7 Aug condemned attack as “blatant violation” of Iran’s sovereignty and international law.
In other important developments. U.S. State Dept 9 Aug announced lifting ban on offensive weapons sales to Saudi Arabia imposed in 2021 over kingdom’s role in Yemen war. Saudi Arabia, U.S. and Switzerland 15-16 Aug co-hosted Sudan peace talks in Swiss city Geneva; talks included United Arab Emirates as observer state along with Egypt, AU and UN, but were boycotted by Sudanese Armed Forces (see Sudan).
What's happening in the Red Sea will have a huge impact on the current political process between the Saudis and Houthis.
There is a limit to how far Iran and Saudi Arabia can go in de-escalating tensions between themselves if the entire region is ablaze because of the war in Gaza.
The Saudi leadership is … aware of its domestic audience and the continuing importance of the Palestinian issue among the Saudi population and throughout the Arab world.
Saudi-Iran rapprochement is still in its early phases, and it’s still very unclear how the two sides will address their many points of friction.
In the realm of US domestic politics, Saudi-Israel normalization would be a foreign policy win for the Biden administration.
Saudi Arabia and its ambitious crown prince are looking ahead to a new world in which it will enjoy a more prominent place. Yet unless the kingdom makes further changes on both the diplomatic and domestic fronts, its aspirations are likely to run into roadblocks.
The four-year blockade of Qatar by rival Gulf powers is over, but fault lines among these states remain. If the gaps are not bridged, the competition could exacerbate conflicts – and spark new ones – well outside the region.
This week on Hold Your Fire!, Richard talks with Abdulaziz Sager, Crisis Group’s Trustee and Founder and Chairman of the Gulf Research Center, about Riyadh’s foreign policy and diplomatic efforts seemingly aimed at mending ties in the region.
On 10 March, Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed to restore diplomatic relations as part of a Chinese-sponsored initiative that appears aimed at reducing tensions across the Middle East. Crisis Group experts offer a 360-degree view of the implications for the region’s many flashpoints.
Dr. Abdulaziz Sager, Founder of the Gulf Research Center and member of Crisis Group’s Board of Trustees, talks about the revival of diplomatic ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia in a deal brokered by China.
On 10 March, prodded by China, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to reestablish diplomatic relations within two months, after seven years of severed ties. In this Q&A, Crisis Group experts Dina Esfandiary and Anna Jacobs look at the emerging rapprochement.
Dialogue efforts in the Gulf have stalled amid rising tensions. In this excerpt from the Watch List 2023, Crisis Group explains how the EU and its member states can help revive Saudi-Iranian and other talks.
This week on Hold Your Fire!, Richard Atwood speaks with Crisis Group’s Middle East experts Joost Hiltermann and Dina Esfandiary about the World Cup in Qatar, regional politics and friction between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia.
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