US claims some credit for restoration of Saudi-Iranian ties

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - A diplomatic breakthrough brokered by China that saw Saudi Arabia and Iran restore ties for the first time in seven years was partly due to pressure from Washington, the White House said Friday.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the milestone was accomplished, in part, due to Washington's efforts to clamp down on Tehran and aid Riyadh, as well as Iran's ongoing domestic unrest.

"We support any effort to de-escalate tensions there in the region. We think that's in our interests. And it's something that we worked on through our own effective combination of deterrence and diplomacy," Kirby told reporters during a virtual briefing.

"What has likely helped bring Iran to the negotiating table with Saudi Arabia is, in fact, the pressure that it's under it internally, as well as an effective deterrence against attacks from Iran or its proxies on Saudi Arabia. And we, as you know, help support Saudi Arabia and their effective deterrence capabilities," he added.

The Biden administration was not "directly involved" in the talks that led to the rapprochement, but was informed about the discussions by Riyadh, according to the White House.

The two Persian Gulf neighbors severed diplomatic ties after the Saudi diplomatic mission in Tehran was attacked by an angry mob in January 2016 over the execution of a Saudi Shia cleric, Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr.

The two estranged neighbors were engaged in marathon talks since April 2021 to restore diplomatic ties, brokered by Iraq. Both Tehran and Riyadh noted progress over the past two years, but the breakthrough proved elusive.

A joint trilateral statement from Iran, Saudi Arabia, and China published by Saudi Arabia's state media thanked Chinese President Xi Jinping for his "noble initiative" to restore "good neighborly relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Iran."

The statement said the breakthrough was established following talks in Beijing on March 6-10 in which delegations from Tehran and Riyadh took part.

"The Saudi and Iranian sides expressed their appreciation and gratitude to the Republic of Iraq and the Sultanate of Oman for hosting rounds of dialogue that took place between both sides during the years 2021-2022," it said.

"The two sides also expressed their appreciation and gratitude to the leadership and government of the People’s Republic of China for hosting and sponsoring the talks, and the efforts it placed towards its success," it added.

The foreign ministers of the two countries will now be meeting to implement the agreement reached between the top security officials and make necessary arrangements for the reopening of diplomatic missions within two months, and the exchange of ambassadors.