Saudi Arabia and Iran have agreed to end their seven-year diplomatic rift as part of a China-brokered deal aimed at reducing tensions in the Middle East and restore ties. The agreement, reached in Beijing, will lead to the reopening of their respective embassies within two months and the activation of security co-operation arrangements. The restoration of diplomatic ties between the two countries is a victory for Chinese diplomacy and underscores Beijing’s growing clout in the region, as well as a challenge to the US, whose traditionally strong relations with Riyadh have cooled recently. Iran and Saudi Arabia had previously held several rounds of talks hosted by Iraq and Oman.
The improvement in Saudi-Iranian relations also comes during a period of increasing tensions between the Islamic republic and the West over Tehran’s crackdown on protesters, its nuclear ambitions, and the sale of combat drones to Russia, which are used to attack Ukraine. Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, who was in Beijing for the negotiations, said the groundwork for the agreement was laid at last month’s meeting in Beijing between President Ebrahim Raisi and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.
China’s top diplomat Wang Yi described the agreement as a “victory for peace” and said it showed that the world’s problems were “not limited to the Ukraine issue” and that there were others “related to peace and people’s livelihood that require the attention of the international community”. The Iran-Saudi deal is a clear sign that both countries are ready to turn the page after years of turmoil. More dialogue and confidence-building measures will be needed, but this is a great start, according to Anna Jacobs, senior analyst for the Gulf states at the Crisis Group think-tank.
The Saudi-Iran deal
The Saudi-Iran deal also marks a step towards improved dialogue between Iran and other members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, including Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. The agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran will likely have an impact on the region’s geopolitical dynamics. Riyadh had previously stood on the opposite side to Iran in Syria, where the kingdom backed rebel groups against President Bashar al-Assad’s regime. Iran and Russia supported Assad, who has regained much of the country from the opposition. Saudi Arabia has in recent months suggested that Syria should return to the international fold. Tensions between Riyadh and Tehran escalated last year during Iran’s mass protests, with the authorities there accusing Saudi Arabia of funding media that allegedly incited the unrest.
The restoration of diplomatic ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran is a positive development in a region that has been plagued by tensions and conflict. It remains to be seen whether this will lead to further improvements in the region’s geopolitical landscape. The role played by China in brokering the deal underlines its growing influence in the Middle East, while also highlighting the waning influence of the US in the region.
