Iranian, Saudi FMs meet in Jordan after months of stalled dialogue

The Iranian-Saudi dialogue stalled earlier this year amid the protests in Iran and political tensions in Iraq.

Adam Lucente
Adam Lucente
Dec 21, 2022
Dignitaries pose together in a photo at the start of the Baghdad Conference for Cooperation and Partnership.
(Front L to R) French President Emmanuel Macron, Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, Jordan's King Abdullah, Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Jordan's Crown Prince Hussein, the ruler of the UAE's Emirate of Ras al-Khaimah Sheikh Saud bin Saqr al-Qasimi, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud; along with the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell (Behind L), Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit (2nd-L), Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian (Behind 5th-L), and other dignitaries pose together in a photo at the start of the Baghdad Conference for Cooperation and Partnership in Sweimeh by the Dead Sea shore in central-west Jordan on Dec. 20, 2022. — KHALIL MAZRAAWI/AFP via Getty Images

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian met with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, in Jordan Wednesday. 

The two top diplomats are in the country for the Baghdad Conference for Cooperation and Partnership. The summit, which is being held for the second time, deals with stability in Iraq and also aims to address regional security issues. Amir-Abdollahian tweeted in Arabic that he met the foreign ministers of Jordan, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia at the event. 

“The Saudi foreign minister affirmed to me his country’s readiness to continue dialogue with Iran,” he said. 

Why it matters: Saudi Arabia cut off relations with Iran in 2016 after Iranian protesters attacked the Saudi Embassy in Tehran. The demonstrators were upset over Saudi Arabia executing Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr. 

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