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Talks between Saudi Arabia, Iran Enter ‘Serious’ Phase

An advertisement promotes local products in Tehran. (AFP)
An advertisement promotes local products in Tehran. (AFP)
    Tehran, London - Asharq Al-Awsat
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Talks between Saudi Arabia, Iran Enter ‘Serious’ Phase

An advertisement promotes local products in Tehran. (AFP)
An advertisement promotes local products in Tehran. (AFP)

Talks between Saudi Arabia and Iran are now on a “more serious path,” including discussions on resolving Yemen’s conflict.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh confirmed in a weekly press conference that the negotiations between Saudi Arabia and Iran are still going well in Iraq.

“Baghdad has been a good host to date, and there is no need to change the location of the talks as long as possible. The two countries are discussing more serious issues.”

Iran’s Fars news agency quoted Khatibzadeh as saying: “The talks with Saudi Arabia can achieve security and stability in the region.”

“Iran has always pursued its policy and believes that talks between regional actors and Iran and Saudi Arabia can be one of the pillars of peace and stability in the Gulf region,” he added.

He added that the issue of “Yemen has been part of the talks between the two sides.”

The official said that efforts were being made to improve peace and stability in the Persian Gulf through better relations between Tehran and Riyadh.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan had revealed earlier this month that the Kingdom and Iran have held four rounds of “exploratory talks,” the last of which were held on September 21.

On the nuclear file, Khatibzadeh confirmed his government would return to the Vienna negotiations but will not negotiate a new text or nuclear agreement.

“We confirmed that the negotiations will take place in Vienna, and that the Iranian delegation will not negotiate a new text, and that the dialogue will be within the framework of the nuclear agreement.”

Turning to Iraq, Khatibzadeh congratulated its government, people and elected lawmakers on successfully holding parliamentary elections on Sunday, hoping that through unity and solidarity among all MPs, a new government would be formed.

He said Iran, as always, supports Iraq and is ready for cooperation with Baghdad, adding that the country is on the right path towards peace.

Azerbaijan tensions
The spokesman also addressed the relations between Iran and Azerbaijan, saying the two countries have always pursued a logical procedure in their relations.

He noted the region is going through a very sensitive stage, and it is important to understand regional conditions and the situation in the Caspian Sea region.

“Iran has voiced its concerns to the Azeri side, and they have also said they will address them. We told the Azerbaijani side that some of Iran’s concerns should be resolved.”

Moreover, he stressed that the alleged Israeli presence in Azerbaijan created tensions between Baku and Tehran.

“We have never closed our airspace to Azerbaijan. The land route is also open between the two countries, and the two sides should not allow third-parties to affect relations,” Khatibzadeh underlined.

Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) had said it had started using the airspace of neighboring Armenia on Wednesday after media reports claimed that Iran closed off its airspace to military flights.

Relations between Tehran and Baku have deteriorated recently, against the backdrop of maneuvers carried out by the Iranian army near the border with Azerbaijan and Baku’s decision to impose customs duties on Iranian trucks heading to Europe through its territory.

AFP had reported that Azeri authorities closed a mosque linked to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Azerbaijan’s Interior Ministry said the reason for the closure, which also affected other indoor spaces, was a surge in coronavirus infections.

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Trump Administration Cancels Travel for Refugees Already Cleared to Resettle in the US

An Afghan refugee man, who asked not to use his name and not to show his face fearing his identity could lead to his capture, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP)
An Afghan refugee man, who asked not to use his name and not to show his face fearing his identity could lead to his capture, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP)
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Trump Administration Cancels Travel for Refugees Already Cleared to Resettle in the US

An Afghan refugee man, who asked not to use his name and not to show his face fearing his identity could lead to his capture, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP)
An Afghan refugee man, who asked not to use his name and not to show his face fearing his identity could lead to his capture, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP)

Refugees who had been approved to travel to the United States before a deadline next week suspending America's refugee resettlement program have had their travel plans canceled by the Trump administration.

Thousands of refugees who fled war and persecution and had gone through a sometimes yearslong process to start new lives in America are now stranded at various locations worldwide. That includes more than 1,600 Afghans who assisted America's war effort, as well as relatives of active-duty US military personnel.

President Donald Trump paused the refugee resettlement program this week as part of a series of executive orders cracking down on immigration. His move had left open the possibility that refugees who had been screened to come to the US and had flights booked before the Jan. 27 deadline might be able to get in under the wire.

But in an email dated Tuesday and reviewed by The Associated Press, the US agency overseeing refugee processing and arrivals told staff and stakeholders that "refugee arrivals to the United States have been suspended until further notice."

There are a little more than 10,000 refugees from around the world who had already gone through the lengthy refugee admission process and had travel scheduled over the next few weeks, according to a document obtained by the AP. It was not immediately clear how many of those had been set to arrive by upcoming deadline.

Among those are more than 1,600 Afghans cleared to come to the US as part of the program that the Biden administration set up after the American withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.

Many veterans of America's longest war have tried for years to help Afghans they worked with, in addition to their families, find refuge in the US. Many were prepared for a suspension of the resettlement program but had hoped for special consideration for the Afghans.

"The Trump administration’s early pause of refugee flights is alarming, leaving thousands of Afghan allies in fear and uncertainty," said Shawn VanDiver, a Navy veteran and head of #AfghanEvac, a coalition supporting Afghan resettlement efforts. "We are ready to partner to fix this and urge clear communication with impacted families. Let’s honor our promises and uphold America’s values."

There is a separate path — the special immigrant visa program— specifically for Afghans who worked directly with the US government. VanDiver's group said that program, set up by Congress, did not appear to be affected at this time.

Trump's order signed Monday had given the State Department a week before it began to halt all processing and traveling. It appears the timing was moved up, though it was not immediately clear what prompted the change.

The State Department referred questions to the White House.

Agencies that help refugees settle and adjust to life in America have argued that this is the type of legal immigration that Trump and his supporters say they like and have pointed to the stringent background checks and sometimes yearslong wait that refugees endure before setting foot in America.

"This abrupt halt to refugee admissions is devastating for families who have already endured unimaginable hardship and waited years for the chance to rebuild their lives in safety," Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, head of Global Refuge, one of the 10 US resettlement agencies, said in a statement Wednesday.

"Refugees go through one of the most rigorous vetting processes in the world, and many are now seeing their travel canceled just days, or even hours, before they were set to begin their new lives in the United States," she said. "It’s utterly heartbreaking."

Refugees are distinct from people who come directly to the US-Mexico border with the goal of eventually seeking asylum. Refugees must be living outside of the US to be considered for resettlement and are usually referred to the State Department by the United Nations.

While the resettlement program has historically enjoyed bipartisan support, the first Trump administration also temporarily halted resettlement and then lowered the number of refugees who could enter the country annually.