Saudi Arabia cut diplomatic ties with Iran in 2016 after its embassy in Tehran was set on fire in response to its execution of a prominent Shiite cleric. “The centre of gravity of the region’s oil and gas exports has been shifting east for some time. Saudi Arabia, which has battled Iranian-backed fighters in Yemen since 2015, is pushing for an end to a conflict that’s exposed its oil facilities to drone and missile attacks. Establishing formal relations with Iran could help ease that conflict and potentially allow Saudi Arabia to withdraw from the war if a peace deal materializes. Saudi Arabia’s top priority is to “find a way to have a permanent ceasefire in Yemen,” Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan said Thursday in Moscow.

Source: The North Africa Journal March 11, 2023 05:24 UTC