Shi’ite Iran and Sunni Saudi Arabia are keen to hold more talks, Iran’s foreign ministry said, before U.S. President Joe Biden’s visit to the Middle East
a fifth round of contacts aimed at restoring relations between the Middle East's two main rival powers.
Tehran gave an update on the status of the talks as U.S. President Joe Biden landed in Israel in a high-stakes Middle East trip that will include Saudi Arabia. Both countries are U.S. allies while Iran is a longtime adversary of Washington.Tehran and Riyadh, the leading Shi'ite and Sunni Muslim powers in the Middle East, severed ties in 2016 with both parties backing opposide sides in proxy wars across the region, from Yemen to Syria and elsewhere.
"Our conclusion is that the negotiations have been positive. Both sides are interested in a continuation of the meetings," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani told a televised weekly news conference.The Iranian flag waves in front of the International Atomic Energy Agency headquarters, before the beginning of a board of governors meeting, in Vienna, Austria, March 1, 2021.
In May, Saudi Arabia's foreign minister said there had been some progress in the Iraq-mediated talks with Iran but "not enough". The fifth round of the talks was held in April after Iran suspended the negotiations in March without giving a reason, but the decision came on the heels of Saudi Arabia's execution of 81 prisoners, its biggest mass use of the death penalty in decades.U.S. officials say Biden's trip - his first to the Middle East as president - could yield more steps toward normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia, historic foes but also two of America's strongest allies in the turbulent region.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Biden heads to Middle East to pitch Iran Nuclear Deal to uneasy Israel, Saudi ArabiaPresident Joe Biden faces an uphill climb as he heads to the Middle East this week to try and convince uneasy officials in Israel and Saudi Arabia to re-adopt the Iran Nuclear Deal.
Read more »
Outrage as Biden Reportedly Considers Lifting Ban on 'Offensive' Arms Sales to Saudi Arabia\u0022Saudi Arabia and the UAE are fabulously wealthy oil states and do not need any aid,\u0022 noted one progressive. \u0022U.S. weapons transfers are intended to throw our money to American arms corporations.\u0022
Read more »
Saudi Arabia Is Using Biden's Visit and Sports-Based PR to Hide Its CrimesSaudi Arabia’s human rights record is altogether hideous and has been for decades. Why is Biden going? Oil and war weapons, of course.
Read more »
Biden Starts Mideast Trip in Israel With Iran, Oil and Mending Saudi Ties on AgendaJoe Biden starts the first visit to the Middle East of his presidency with a monumental task: assuring uneasy Israeli and Saudi Arabian officials he’s committed to preventing Iran from becoming a nuclear power. Biden lands in Israel on
Read more »
White House says Iran is preparing to supply Russia with weapons-capable dronesUS national security adviser Jake Sullivan says the US has information indicating that Iran is preparing to supply Russia with drones — including weapons-capable drones — and begin training Russian forces on how to operate them as early as later this month
Read more »