Iran says Saudi ready to move talks to higher level

Iran and Saudi Arabia are ready to move reconciliation talks to a higher level, Iran’s foreign minister says.

Since April last year Iraq has hosted five rounds of talks between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

“Progress has been made in these negotiations,” Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said in an interview with Iran’s state broadcaster on Thursday night.

He added that last week Iran had received a message from Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein who said “the Saudi side is ready to move the talks to the political and public level.”

Iran’s top diplomat noted that previous rounds had mainly been at the level of security officials.

“We announced our readiness for the talks to enter the political stage,” he said.

Amir-Abdollahian said he hoped that the negotiations with Riyadh would lead to “normal diplomatic ties between Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

Officials in Tehran have previously said that holding talks on a political level could yield better and faster results.

After the last round of negotiations in April, Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi said he believed that “reconciliation is near” between Riyadh and Tehran, a further reflection of shifting political alignments across the region.

Last week the United Arab Emirates said it was “considering” appointing an ambassador in Tehran.

Amir-Abdollahian described the Emirates’ move more definitively, saying “the UAE has decided to send an ambassador to Tehran” and that will happen “soon.”

Amir-Abdollahian also said a similar measure is being taken by Kuwait.

“Kuwait has introduced its ambassador and we have also announced our agreement. The new ambassador of Kuwait will arrive in Tehran within the next few days,” he said.