Zarif: Diplomatic Delegations from Iran and Saudi Arabia to Visit After Hajj

In another sign of potential improvement in relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic announced on Wednesday that diplomatic delegations from both countries will visit their embassies after the Hajj ceremonies. Mohammad Javad Zarif, in an interview with the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA) published on Wednesday, September 1, reported that visas for the members of the delegations from both countries had been issued and that 'final arrangements' need to be made. Zarif stated that the visits are likely to occur after the conclusion of Hajj. Diplomatic relations between Tehran and Riyadh were severed in January 2016 following the execution of a Shia cleric in Saudi Arabia and a violent attack on Saudi diplomatic missions in Tehran and Mashhad. Earlier, Hossein Jaberi Ansari, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister, had announced on June 18 a preliminary agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia for visits to their embassies, while also stating that there were still 'no direct negotiations' between the two countries and that essential issues were being resolved 'through diplomatic channels and indirectly.' Meanwhile, the Saudi Foreign Ministry announced on August 1 that Iranian officials had not granted visas to a Saudi investigative team looking into the attacks on Saudi diplomatic missions in Tehran and Mashhad. However, the next day, Bahram Qasemi, the spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, called this statement 'unrealistic' and said that the visa for the Saudi delegation to visit their diplomatic missions had been issued a month prior. According to Qasemi, this delegation was supposed to arrive in Tehran on August 1, but Saudi officials 'requested to postpone the visit for necessary preparations.' On the same day, Iranian media reported that the foreign ministers of Iran and Saudi Arabia embraced and had a brief conversation during a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Istanbul. Reports indicated that Adel al-Jubeir, the Saudi Foreign Minister, approached Mohammad Javad Zarif and 'after embracing' him, they engaged in conversation. However, Zarif rejected the analysis that after the Saudi Foreign Minister took the initiative for this conversation, 'the ball is now in Iran's court.' He added, 'In this matter, one side did not shake hands; I also shook hands, and as I said, this was a diplomatic and normal act, and the ball is not in any court.' The Iranian Foreign Minister emphasized that Saudi Arabia's behavior and policies in the region have not changed. He reiterated that Saudi Arabia 'must reconsider and review some of its policies' and 'if this review occurs, it will certainly be met with a positive reaction from Iran.' Conflicts in Syria and Yemen have been among the main reasons for the deterioration of relations between the two countries in recent years. Iran supports the government of Bashar al-Assad in Syria, while Saudi Arabia is one of the main supporters of a group of rebels in that country. In Yemen, the situation is reversed, as the Arab coalition led by Riyadh has conducted airstrikes against Houthi rebels to restore power to Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, while Iranian officials have supported the Houthis and have repeatedly been accused of 'sending weapons' to them. Regarding the visit of Muqtada al-Sadr to Saudi Arabia, the Iranian Foreign Minister stated on Wednesday, 'We are so self-assured about ourselves and our role in the region and the type of relations we have with our neighbors that we are not worried about such actions.' He emphasized that Iran has a 'strong presence' in the region, and this matter 'is not undermined by the performative actions of some countries.' Iraj Masjedi, Iran's ambassador to Baghdad, also reacted to Muqtada al-Sadr's visit to Saudi Arabia and the invitation of this country to Ammar al-Hakim, stating that the relationship of Shia in Iraq with other countries, including the United States and Saudi Arabia, does not affect their relations with the Islamic Republic. Muqtada al-Sadr, the leader of the Shia Sadr movement in Iraq, met with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia during an official visit last month after 11 years and described Saudi Arabia as the 'strong father' of Arab nations striving for 'peace in the region.' Al-Sadr had previously received comprehensive support from Iran but gradually distanced himself from the Islamic Republic, and last year his supporters protested the presence of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Iraq. Al-Sadr also stated in an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat on August 20 that he might form an alliance with Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and Ammar al-Hakim in the upcoming Iraqi elections. Ammar al-Hakim, the former secretary of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, recently separated from this organization to form a new movement called 'National Wisdom.' Internal disputes within the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, a Shia organization that has been aligned with Iran for over three decades, particularly regarding Iran's role in Iraq, have led to this recent split. The Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, previously known as the Islamic Revolution Supreme Council of Iraq, was established in Iran in 1982 and maintained very close relations with the Islamic Republic for years. Since the severance of relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, Iraq and some countries, including Pakistan and Kuwait, have offered proposals for mediation and reducing tensions between the two countries. Meanwhile, according to Iranian media reports, Qassem al-Araji, the Iraqi Minister of Interior, stated in a meeting with his Iranian counterpart that Saudi officials had requested Iraq to mediate between Iran and Saudi Arabia. However, the Saudi Foreign Ministry announced on Wednesday, August 16, that it had made no requests for mediation between Tehran and Riyadh.