BAGHDAD (Dispatches) -- Iraq said it was preparing to host a “public” meeting of the foreign ministers of Iran and Saudi Arabia as the two regional heavyweights seek to mend ties.

Since April last year, Iraq has hosted five rounds of talks between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Those encounters were held privately and at a low level, involving security and intelligence officials. But on Saturday, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said his Iranian and Saudi counterparts would be meeting in Iraq at an undisclosed date.

“I contacted the foreign minister of Iran about this,” Hussein said in an interview with Kurdish television channel Rudaw. “We are preparing the meeting, trying to find the best time to invite the foreign ministers of Iran and Saudi Arabia,” he said. “It will be a public meeting, (unlike) previous encounters which were secret and were held between intelligence and security officials,” Hussein added. 

His comments came days after Iranian Foreign Minister Hussein Amir-Abdollahian told Iranian television that his country and Saudi Arabia are ready to move reconciliation talks to a higher level. Amir-Abdollahian said on Thursday that “progress” had been made at previous rounds of talks between security officials hosted by Iraq.

He added that last week Iran had received a message from the Iraqi foreign minister who said “the Saudi side is ready to move the talks to the political and public level”. Amir-Abdollahian said Thursday he hoped new negotiations will lead to the resumption of “normal diplomatic ties”.

Saudi Arabia severed diplomatic relations with Iran in January 2016 after Iranian protesters, enraged by the Saudi execution of prominent Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr Baqir al-Nimr, stormed its embassy in Tehran.

The kingdom then pursued a confrontational foreign policy toward the Islamic Republic, especially during the U.S. administration of Donald Trump, with whom the Saudi rulers shared close ties.

The kingdom appears to have recently changed course, showing willingness through diplomatic channels and third parties to mend fences with Tehran and resume bilateral relations. 

 

Jordan’s King: All Arabs Want Good Iran Ties

 

Separately, Jordanian King Abdullah II stressed the need for “dialogue” to ease regional tensions and said the entire Arab states favor good relations with the Islamic Republic.

“We do not want tension in the region, and Jordan and all Arab countries want good relations with Iran based on mutual respect, good neighborliness, respect for the sovereignty of countries and non-interference in their affairs,” King Abdullah told the official Jordanian newspaper Al Rai.

Abdullah said “dialogue is a way to resolve differences,” adding that “the region does not need new crises and conflicts, but rather cooperation and coordination.”

However, the Jordanian king repeated baseless accusations against Tehran that “Iranian interference affects Arab countries,” adding, “We hope to see a change in the behavior of Iran, and this must be achieved on the ground.”