The agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore full diplomatic relations is a significant achievement. In Iran’s eyes, Saudi Arabia is a rival for regional hegemony that drags foreign powers into the Gulf. But perhaps more significant was that Iran and Saudi Arabia were making little headway in the dialogue, intensifying frustrations all around. At this gathering, as a senior Saudi official confirmed to Crisis Group, Beijing offered to host Saudi-Iranian talks. In this vein, it reportedly secured Tehran’s agreement to stop inciting the Huthis to stage cross-border attacks on Saudi Arabia.

Source: The North Africa Journal March 17, 2023 13:45 UTC