Riyadh and Tehran severed ties in 2016, when then-US President Donald Trump entered the White House and certain regional issues such as war on Yemen and disagreements on Syria and Lebanon escalated tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
** Brilliant outlook of Riyadh-Tehran negotiations
The Financial Times newspaper reported Saudi and Iranian high-ranking officials hold direct talks to improve relations.
The Biden administration's willingness to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal has prompted the Saudi authorities to change tone concerning ties with the Islamic Republic.
Saudi Crown Prince Muhammed bin Salman expressed hope that good relationship will be established between the two neighboring states, stipulating that the two countries enjoy common interests to improve ties and regional situation.
The remarks have been welcomed by Iranian officials, including Saeed Khatibzadeh, Foreign Ministry spokesman, who underlined that Riyadh and Tehran can leave behind disagreements and enter a new chapter of interaction in order to bolster regional peace and security.
Iran's Government Spokesman Ali Rabiei has evaluated bilateral negotiations as positive, noting that the two sides have conducted two rounds of talks.
** Root causes of Saudis' change of mind
Observers opine that certain issues have pushed the Saudi authorities to change their attitude towards Iran, which include Riyadh's involvement in regional conflicts especially Yemen War, the United States' change of approach towards regional developments, and progress in Vienna talks on the revival of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
The Trump administration's withdrawal from the JCPOA in May 2018 paved the way for Arab and Hebrew players to establish an alliance in a bid to isolate the Islamic Republic, but the change of power at the White House and President Joe Biden's emphasis on ending the erosive war in Yemen have altered the regional condition; so, Riyadh came to the conclusion that it would be better to amend ties with Tehran.
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