Senior Saudi and Iranian officials have held direct talks in an effort to repair relations between the two countries, four years after cutting off diplomatic ties, the Financial Times reported on Sunday. The report also cited a senior Saudi official, however, denying that any talks had taken place. Meetings amid new nuclear talksThe talks took place as Washington and Tehran try to revive a 2015 nuclear accord, which Riyadh has objected to. The US is also pressing for an end to the ongoing conflict in Yemen, which is seen in the region as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Former US President Donald Trump quit the nuclear agreement and reimposed sanctions on Iran in 2018 — a move that Saudi Arabia and its allies supported.

Source: Egypt Independent April 18, 2021 09:11 UTC