Iran seeks 'lasting peace' with Saudi Arabia amid regional diplomacy push

Iran eyes peace with Saudi Arabia to focus on stability as part of its bid for diplomatic dominance in the region.

By SETH J. FRANTZMAN NOVEMBER 23, 2024 12:33 Updated: NOVEMBER 23, 2024 12:49

THEN-IRANIAN PRESIDENT Ebrahim Raisi meets with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh, last November. Iran views itself as the defender of Islam in direct opposition to Saudi Arabia, says the writer. (photo credit: Iran's Presidency/West Asia News Agency/Reuters)

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Majid Takht Ravanchi said that Iran is seeking to establish a lasting peace with Saudi Arabia, according to Iran state media IRNA. The comments are important because Iran is seeking to revolutionize its diplomatic ties across the region. Towards that end Iran’s foreign minister has made key trips and is seeking inroads in traditional western allies. This includes not only Saudi Arabia but also Egypt.

In other cases Iran is seeking closer ties with Russia and cementing its ties to the Syrian regime. This is all part of how Iran exploits the war on Israel and the use of its proxies to also conduct a multi-pronged offensive in the region.

The goal of this offensive is to hand the region a fait accompli in terms of Iranian dominance, regardless of whether Israel defeats Hezbollah and Hamas. Iran will want to show the incoming US administration of President-elect Donald Trump that it is Iran that calls the shots. Any “maximum pressure” campaign will be harder this time, Tehran thinks.

 Saudi Arabia is key to this because Iran doesn’t want Saudi Arabia to normalize ties with Israel. “Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat during his visit to Riyadh on Friday, Takht Ravanchi reaffirmed Iran and Saudi Arabia’s mutual determination to establish enduring peace and stability across the West Asia region. Achieving this goal requires sustained bilateral and regional cooperation to address existing threats and build a foundation for prosperity and security, he added,” IRNA noted.

 The goal of the comments is also to influence media in the region outside of the Iranian state media bubble. The Iranian official “described the Saudi-Iranian efforts as a successful model of bilateral and multilateral cooperation aimed at fostering peace, security, and development.  The official underscored the importance of historical ties and the principle of good neighborliness as the basis for advancing this relationship,” the report added.

A newspaper with a cover picture of the flag of Iran and Saudi Arabia, is seen in Tehran, Iran March 11, 2023 (credit: MAJID ASGARIPOUR/WANA (WEST ASIA NEWS AGENCY) VIA REUTERS)

Cordial trilateral meeting

Takht Ravanchi previously served as Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations. He was also involved in the nuclear deal talks. He has also worked with China and Riyadh in the past. This related to something called the Saudi-Chinese-Iranian trilateral committee, “which was recently held as a follow-up to a Beijing-mediated agreement that restored diplomatic ties between Tehran and Riyadh in March 2023.

The Iranian official described the atmosphere of the trilateral meeting as cordial and transparent, saying that it provided the three countries with the opportunity to progress their ‘positive’ ties,” IRNA reported.