DUBAI: Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman, Saeed Khatibzadeh, said on Monday that further talks with Saudi Arabia depend on Riyadh’s “seriousness.”
Saudi Arabia and Iran, the region’s two [religious] powerhouses, launched direct talks this year at a time when global powers are trying to salvage a nuclear pact with Tehran and as U.N.-led efforts to end the Yemen war stall.
At a press conference, Khatibzadeh said, “We invite Riyadh [to take] a diplomatic and political approach and respect the principle of non-interference in other countries, which is the only way forward for the region.”
The kingdom, which cut ties with Tehran in 2016, has described the talks as cordial but exploratory, while an Iranian official in October said they had gone a “good distance”.
UAE and Iran regional issues
Earlier, the United Arab Emirates’ senior national security adviser also met his Iranian counterpart and hardliner President Ebrahim Raisi in a rare visit to Iran on December 6 in a move aimed at overcoming their long-standing differences and increasing cooperation.
