Alwaght- Though Iran and Saudi Arabia symbolically put an end to their past differences with the March détente agreement, the ultimate step for revival of relations was taken with reopening of the embassies, and this was the motivation for Saturday visit to Tehran of the Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan. In addition for making arrangements for reopening the Saudi embassy in Tehran, the top diplomat met Iranian officials, including his counterpart Hussein Amir-Abdollahian and President Seyyed Ibrahim Raisi. Also, it was reported that bin Farhan carried a message from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a de factor leader, to the Iranian president, with its key point being improvement of bilateral relations.
To bring in spotlight the details of the Saudi FM’s Tehran trip, Alwaght talked to Jaafar Ghanadbashi, an Iranian expert of West Asian affairs.
Alwaght: What are the aspects and goals of the Saudi FM’s visit to Tehran?
Ghanadbashi: Having in mind that recently the Iranian embassy in Saudi Arabia was reopened, the main goal was to announce launching the diplomatic relations. From another viewpoint, Saudi Arabia and Iran interact on many issues, including the Hajj pilgrimage, and we know that its holding is important in the relations between the two countries. Also, part of the purpose of this trip has to do with regional issues, including Yemen issue, in order to de-escalate tensions in the region. The Saudis have demands regarding Yemen and are trying to discuss them with the Iranian officials. Although Iran has always said that it does not support the Yemenis militarily and has been their supporter from a humanitarian point of view, Saudi Arabia eyes ending the war in Yemen without paying any cost, and Riyadh is trying to achieve this goal with the help of Iran.
Alwaght: Many believed that Iranian-Saudi agreement will end Yemen war, but it seems that the Saudis are uninterested in that and this is infuriating Yemen's Ansarullah Movement that is issuing warnings to the Saudis. Do you think there will be a progress in Yemen case?
Ghanadbashi: The Saudis are worried that with the end of the war in Yemen, all the obstacles to declaring the victory of Ansarullah will be cleared, and this will strengthen this movement in Yemen, and this is something that, in addition to Saudi Arabia, the Westerners also do not want. For this reason, the Saudis do not want to strike a deal with Ansarullah.
Perhaps Saudi Arabia seeks Iranian guarantees that after a ceasefire Yemen will not be connected to the Axis of Resistance and anti-imperialism alliance. It also wants to make sure Iran will not have wider presence in Yemen post-ceasefire. Therefore, it is natural that the Saudis will act warily in this regard, but Riyadh officials should take into consideration the fact that Ansarullah seeks national interests and Iran is not a decision-maker on behalf of Yemen and the Yemenis will settle their differences with the Saudis.
Alwaght: It is said that bin Farhan carried a message to Iran's president. What does the message contain and how will it influence their bilateral relationship?
Ghanadbashi: I think that the message contained issues related to the kingdom’s political future and perhaps it carried two matters: First, Saudi apology for the escalatory actions taken by Riyadh in recent years, and second, grievance against Iranian policies in the region. But the important point of the message was to promise progress to the relations between the two countries in the future, and to tell Tehran that if the two countries establish a strong relationship, good things will ensue.
Alwaght: Has embassy reopening taken place? Because some observers suggest that Saudi Arabia is procrastinating on its embassy reopening and has some eyes on the regional developments and is seeking guarantees. What do you think?
Ghanadbashi: Concerning political relations, cooperation with Saudi Arabia is certainly not a smooth path and various factors are involved. One is the general and ideological positions of the Saudis, and the other issue is related to the series of commitments that Saudi Arabia has made to other countries that make bilateral interactions difficult. But if Saudi Arabia talks to Iran from the perspective of its national interests, maybe the path will be smoother and if the Saudi authorities do not only consider the policies of the ruling family in their relations with Iran and also consider the national interests, relations can be improved. Unfortunately, due to the propaganda ongoing in the region, as well as some positions of the Saudis, the path of friendly relations of the two countries has grown uneven.
Alwaght: How do regional countries look at bin Farhan’s Tehran visit? How will this visit influence Iran-Arab World relations?
Ghanadbashi: Arab countries coordinate their relations with Tehran with Riyadh's policies, and if the differences between these two countries are resolved, relations with Arab world will also improve. As we know, a major part of chilly relations with Arab countries were caused by Saudi Arabia's direct and indirect actions, and for this reason, Tehran-Riyadh relations are closely followed by Arab states. If their relations are boosted, the Arab states feel that the green light has is given to them to strengthen their relations with Tehran, but if they feel that these relations will not go beyond the usual level and be limited to reopening embassies, they will not take steps towards close ties with the Islamic Republic.
In this regard, the important matter is the national interests of countries based on which they set their ties. For example, Egypt both in foreign and home policy is more influenced by Saudi policies and has no independent policy. Also, the Westerners are hopeful about some Saudi moves in the region and expected the country to meet their interests. Bin Salman is trying to display to the West his capabilities and capacities to ascend the throne for prospective Western support.
Alwaght: How do you see the prospects for bilateral ties?
Ghanadbashi: The two countries share interests in terms of oil and gas exports and also religious tourism, especially Hajj. Thus, it is inevitable for them to continue their relations, and Saudi Arabia knows that without ties with Tehran, it cannot advance many of its regional policies. But more important than diplomatic détente is whether or not their relations will thrive economically, politically and culturally, and we should say that this is a time-taking issue and will not materialize easily.
