Kerry's Contacts with Iran and Saudi Arabia to Preserve Syrian Peace Talks

With rising tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has 'repeatedly' contacted officials from both countries, encouraging dialogue and de-escalation. The U.S. State Department stated on January 5 that Kerry had several discussions with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif over the past day. Kerry is also expected to engage with other regional officials. John Kirby, spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, told reporters that 'one of the main issues Kerry aims to address is reducing tensions, restoring a form of calm, and encouraging dialogue and interaction between the two countries; but at the same time emphasizing that some important regional issues remain.' According to the State Department spokesperson, at the forefront of these issues is keeping the Vienna talks alive to end the Syrian crisis. Both Iran and Saudi Arabia play roles in the Syrian peace negotiations, with completely opposing positions; while Tehran supports the Assad regime, Saudi Arabia is among the staunch opponents of the Syrian president. Tensions between Riyadh and Tehran escalated following the execution of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, a prominent Shia cleric in Saudi Arabia, and the attacks on the Saudi embassy and consulate in Tehran and Mashhad. Saudi Arabia and a group of its allies have severed relations with Iran. However, Saudi officials have stated that the severance of relations and tensions will not affect negotiations regarding Syria and Yemen. Nevertheless, the recent tensions, which have received widespread coverage in global forums and media, have increased pessimism about the situation in Syria and the Middle East. The Syrian civil war, with over 250,000 casualties and millions of displaced persons and refugees, continues, and international negotiations and efforts to end it have yet to yield results. Iran-Saudi relations have previously been marked by tensions that have led to severed ties for years. The attacks on Saudi diplomatic sites in Iran have faced condemnation from the UN Security Council. A group of Iranian political and military officials have criticized these attacks in recent days; at the same time, they have issued warnings and threats directed at Riyadh following the execution of the prominent Shia cleric in Saudi Arabia.