UN Secretary-General Calls for Reconciliation Between Iran and Saudi Arabia

On Monday, February 1, the UN Secretary-General called for a reduction of tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia, urging the two regional rivals to reconcile and take mutual responsibility. Ban Ki-moon, speaking at the National Defense College in Oman, requested Tehran and Riyadh to prioritize 'realism, responsibility, and reconciliation' in their bilateral and regional interactions. According to the Associated Press, he also expressed hope that the lifting of sanctions on Iran in January would bring 'greater responsibility for the region.' The UN Secretary-General is expected to hold talks with senior Omani officials during his visit. Tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia, which have been ongoing for years, escalated last month following the execution of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, a dissident cleric from Saudi Arabia, by Riyadh, leading to an attack by a group of extremists on the Saudi embassy and consulate in Tehran and Mashhad. Following this event, Riyadh severed its ties with Tehran, and several Middle Eastern countries, including Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, and Somalia, followed suit. Oman did not adopt this policy. Muscat maintains longstanding contacts with its important neighbors and has regularly acted as a neutral mediator in regional crises. This country, as Iranian officials have repeatedly emphasized, has been a mediator between Tehran and Washington over Iran's nuclear issue, which led to the Vienna agreement in July of this year. Oman is also working to bring peace talks between rival groups in the Yemeni civil war to fruition. Muscat has played a role in the release of several hostages held by Yemeni rebels. In his remarks on Monday, the UN Secretary-General praised Oman for its 'unique role in connecting people... negotiating and finding common ground.' In another part of his speech, Ban addressed the peace negotiations between the Syrian government and rebels opposing Bashar al-Assad, which are currently taking place in Geneva with the mediation of Stefan de Mistura, the UN representative. According to Agence France-Presse, he urged the parties involved in the Syrian civil war to prioritize the demands of Syrian citizens over their 'party interests.' The UN Secretary-General stated, 'We are deeply pleased that these negotiations have begun. This (dialogue) has been long overdue.' He added, 'I urge all groups to make the issue of the Syrian people the focus of their discussions, and to rise above party interests. Citizens, including children and women, suffer the most from the conflicts.' Ban Ki-moon stated, 'We must immediately end the war, the sieges, and other gross violations of human rights that characterize this war.' The Syrian civil war, which began in 2011, has resulted in 260,000 deaths according to UN statistics, with millions displaced both inside and outside the country. The UN hopes that the Geneva negotiations, which are taking place separately between rebel groups and the Syrian government representative with the UN representative, will yield a plan for an immediate ceasefire and the formation of an inclusive government.