Salman Safavi, chairman of the International Peace Studies Centre (IPSC), told E’temad newspaper on Saturday that concurrent with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif’s regional tour to four countries (Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman) to promote Hormuz Peace Initiative – proposed by the Iranian President Hassan Rouhani two and a half years ago – the Saudi crown prince expressed readiness to restore amicable ties with Iran.
Safavi emphasized that regional and international conditions have been changed, noting that the resistance movement in Yemen has been relatively successful, the Biden administration is trying to come back to its commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and the policy of economic war against the Iranian nation bore no fruit for the United States and its allies; so, the world is changing its attitude towards the Islamic Republic.
Saudi Arabia has recently understood that pursuing the policy of hostility with Iran is doomed to failure; therefore, Riyadh plans to find a way to return to diplomacy in dealing with the Islamic country, the political expert said, adding that it is important that the Iranian officials should tell their Saudi counterpart that the de-escalation of tensions between the US and Iran will not be against Saudis’ interests.
According to the London-based analyst, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain are expected to change their behavior with Iran. He added that understanding between Riyadh and Tehran will help create better relations with the UAE and Bahrain.
He further referred to the role of Iraq as a mediating country in unlocking relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, adding that Mustafa al-Kadhimi, Iraqi Prime Minister is well aware that the improvement of ties between Riyadh and Tehran will enhance national security in Iraq.
As to Saudi war on Yemen, the expert noted that the United States and Britain want Riyadh to stop killing civilians in the war-torn country, and that there is no sign of victory for the Saudis and Emiratis in the long-term conflict.
Safavi urged the Iranian authorities to play the role of an elder brother in the Persian Gulf region and call on the regional states to strengthen security and develop cooperation based on their own collective might and stop depending on the Western powers.
Pointing to controversies around release of Zarif’s comments inside Iran, while the top diplomat was busy to pursue improvement of ties with regional nations, Safavi argued that Dr. Zarif and honorable Martyr Qassem Soleimani had an amicable ties and they were cooperating; although, expertise disagreement between two officials is completely natural. He also urged the Iranians not to allow enemies to distort achievements in both diplomacy and field.
1424
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