Tehran welcomes Riyadh’s readiness to engage in talks

A senior Iranian diplomat has welcomed Saudi Arabia’s decision to take part in security talks with the Islamic Republic.

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, who serves as Iran’s deputy foreign minister for Arab and African affairs, on Monday described as a positive step Saudi Arabia’s declaration of its preparedness for the establishment of a Tehran-Riyadh security committee.

He said the measure will contribute to the campaign against extremism, the establishment of peace and security in the region, and the normalization of Tehran-Riyadh ties.

Amir-Abdoallahian, who is in the Omani capital of Muscat, made the remarks in a meeting with Oman’s Foreign Minister Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah (shown below). A member of the [Persian] Gulf Cooperation Council ([P]GCC), Oman has played a major role in mediating between Iran and Saudi Arabia on key regional issues about which Tehran and Riyadh have different views.

For his part, the Omani foreign minister also hailed the move and described as important the negotiations between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

He further touched upon the conflict in Yemen and warned against measures that could threaten Yemen’s national unity while calling on all Yemeni factions to participate in a national dialogue initiative proposed by the Ansarullah movement.

Yemen is currently grappling with a major political standoff. Last September, the Houthi movement’s Ansarullah revolutionary fighters gained control over the Yemeni capital, Sana’a, following a four-day battle with army forces loyal to General Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, the half-brother of the country’s former dictator, Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Before gaining control of Sana’a, the Houthis had set a deadline for the political parties to put aside differences and end the crisis, but the deadline was missed without any change on the country’s political scene.

A few months later, they dissolved the parliament and announced a constitutional declaration on the Transitional National Council following weeks of clashes with government forces.

The Ansarullah revolutionaries say the Yemeni government has been incapable of properly running the affairs of the country and providing security.