The meeting comes as relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which have long considered each other sworn rivals-slash-enemies, took a turn for the worse when Saudi Arabia started the new year by executing 47 “terrorists”, including a noted Shia cleric, prompting riots across the region.
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“The hate, the anger, the killing, they have the ingredients for a major confrontation”, Jamal Khashoggi said in an interview with Al Jazeera’s flagship current affairs show UpFront. The execution was also carried out to appease the Sunni Saudi clerics who are concerned about Iran’s growing regional influence, and at the same time to deter sympathizers of ISIS, which regards Saudi Arabia as an enemy.
Saudi Arabia is nervous about the impact of global sanctions on Iran being lifted imminently. Larry is our main news editor.
“If that’s the choice they leave us, we’re going to do what’s necessary”, he adds.
“We can all imagine how a similar situation might have played out three or four years ago, and the fact that today this kind of issue can be resolved peacefully and efficiently is a testament to the critical role diplomacy plays in keeping our country safe, secure and strong”, Kerry said Wednesday. Iran also continues to hold the Washington Post journalist, a Christian pastor and a former U.S. Marine.
Similarly, the conflict in Yemen became yet another battleground between the two countries, with Iran supporting the Shiite-affiliated Houthis both financially and militarily, and the Saudis supporting the Sunni regime led by President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi in order to prevent Iran from establishing a strategic foothold in the Arabian Peninsula.
Saudi Arabia has been the default leader of OPEC; however, despite Saudi insistence to the contrary, the US shale boom, increased Russian oil production, and a very resolute Iran are challenging this leadership. “It’s important. We both agree with that, on both sides”, Kerry told reporters as he welcomed Al-Jubeir.
The U.S. has modestly expanded sanctions on Hezbollah, but hasn’t followed through on pledges to impose penalties after a recent ballistic missile test by Iran that violated a U.N. Security Council ban.
The talks in London will serve as an occasion for Kerry to reassure al-Jubeir that the USA remains a stable ally, and will pave the way for talks on a Syrian peace plan which are scheduled for later in January.
For Zarif, the regular exchanges with Kerry are something of a liability at home.
The conversations are likely to broaden, even though the USA still considers Iran the leading state sponsor of terrorism and Iranian officials routinely denounce a nation they sometimes call “the Great Satan”.
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Last Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Iran was “days away” from complying with its obligations under the deal.
