Iran Announces 'Preliminary Agreement with Saudi Arabia' for Visits to Embassies

Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister announced a preliminary agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia for visits to their embassies, while stating that there are still 'no direct negotiations' between the two countries and that essential issues are being resolved 'through diplomatic channels and indirectly.' On Sunday, June 18, Hossein Jaberi Ansari informed the ISNA news agency that visiting the embassies of Iran and Saudi Arabia is on the agenda for both sides, but finalizing this action depends on an agreement between the two countries regarding the details. He also stated that there are no direct negotiations between the foreign ministries of the two countries and that 'necessities are being addressed through diplomatic channels and indirectly.' Following the execution of Sheikh Nimr, a prominent Shia cleric in Saudi Arabia on January 2, 2016, several protesters caused damage to Saudi diplomatic premises in Tehran and Mashhad. This attack led Saudi Arabia and several other Arab countries to sever diplomatic relations with Iran. Additionally, verbal disputes between officials from both countries after the Mina disaster and their failure to reach an agreement on the conditions prevented Iranian pilgrims from attending the 2015 Hajj. Iranian pilgrims are expected to participate in the 2016 Hajj, and Saudi Arabia has set conditions for their attendance, including holding the Dua-e-Kumayl ceremony in a restricted space. Meanwhile, Jaberi Ansari stated that the visit of the Iranian consular delegation to Saudi Arabia aims to follow up on the rights of Iranian citizens in negotiations between the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Iran's Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization. Iran and Saudi Arabia have had highly tense relations in recent years, and following Donald Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia, verbal confrontations between the two countries have increased. In this context, several officials of the Islamic Republic have accused Saudi Arabia of involvement in the attack on the Iranian Parliament and the tomb of Ayatollah Khomeini, without providing evidence, merely referencing the statements of a former Saudi defense minister. Saudi officials have denied these accusations. Previously, reports had emerged about the possibility of mediation by countries such as China and Iraq between Iran and Saudi Arabia, and Iranian officials had also conducted discussions with Kuwait and Oman in the latter months of the previous year. These discussions occurred after the visit of the Kuwaiti foreign minister to Tehran and the exchange of some messages between the parties. In a critical situation in the relations between the two countries, on Friday evening, an Iranian fishing boat that had deviated from its course was targeted by Saudi border guard forces, resulting in the death of one of its occupants. The Iranian Foreign Ministry has stated that it is pursuing this matter and that shooting at an unarmed small fishing boat 'has no justification' and is 'contrary to fundamental principles of international law and an inhumane act.' Regarding Qatar, Jaberi Ansari also stated that Iran is not seeking 'opportunism' and has a 'long-term perspective.' He reported that trips have been made in this regard, and Iranian officials have met with officials from some regional countries, but the Iranian Foreign Ministry believes in 'quiet and uncontroversial activity' and does not publish reports on these trips. Meanwhile, Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, expressed concern about the escalation of differences between Qatar and its neighboring countries during a meeting with his Algerian counterpart, Abdelkader Messahel, stating that the Islamic Republic is ready to assist in dialogue between the parties. On Tuesday, June 5, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE, Bahrain, Yemen, the Maldives, and Libya announced that they were severing diplomatic relations with Qatar due to what they termed the country's support for 'terrorism' or 'protecting their national security.' Some of these countries currently do not have relations with Iran either. Qatar, which hosts 11,000 U.S. military personnel and international coalition forces, describes the accusation of supporting terrorist groups as 'baseless.' On Sunday, June 10, Iran sent five planes carrying food supplies to Qatar and also dispatched 460 tons of food by boat to Qatar. Iranian officials, who themselves are accused by regional countries of interfering in their internal affairs, have also urged Qatar and its neighbors to resolve their differences through dialogue.