US Welcomes Saudi-Iranian Dialogue if it Curbs Tehran’s ‘Destabilizing Activities’

US State Department spokesman Vedant Patel
US State Department spokesman Vedant Patel
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US Welcomes Saudi-Iranian Dialogue if it Curbs Tehran’s ‘Destabilizing Activities’

US State Department spokesman Vedant Patel
US State Department spokesman Vedant Patel

US President Joe Biden's Administration has described the meeting between Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian in Beijing as “an expected step” as part of the agreement between the Kingdom and Iran.

“A meeting of Iranian and Saudi foreign ministers is an expected step in the dialogue process,” US State Department principal deputy spokesman Vedant Patel said.

He added that the Biden Administration has “long encouraged direct dialogue and diplomacy, including between Iran and its neighboring regional government to help reduce tensions and risk conflict.”

“If this dialogue leads to concrete actions by Iran to curb its destabilizing activities in the region, including the proliferation of dangerous weapons, then of course we would welcome that.”

The Saudi-Iranian talks “could shift the geopolitics of the Middle East”, according to The New York Times.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman “has been keen to expand alliances with other partners”, in addition to the US, it said.

It added that Beijing is increasingly attempting to present itself as “a counterweight to the United States in global diplomacy”.

Neither Patel nor other spokespersons commented on the reports about the China-brokered deal being more than the normalization of ties between Riyadh and Tehran.

Foreign Policy reported that Iran Supreme leader Ali “Khamenei’s close circle and the IRGC genuinely believe the US-led liberal world order is collapsing and a new anti-Western order led by China, Russia, and Iran is taking shape.”

“As recent as November 2022, Khamenei outlined a vision of a new order based on ‘the isolation of the United States, the transfer of power to Asia, [and] the expansion of the [anti-West] resistance front’.”

“Yahya Rahim Safavi, senior IRGC commander and military advisor to Khamenei, asserted that the post-US era in the region has begun.”

“Washington has been struggling to adapt to the new Saudi Arabia,” The New York Times quoted Ayham Kamel, head of Middle East and North Africa at Eurasia Group, as saying. “This creates a whole new set of challenges as US allies have begun to create their distinct Iran policy that might not align with Washington’s own approach.”

Foreign Policy affirmed that “Riyadh is fully aware of this” because “It knows the true identity and motivations of the IRGC beyond the smiling face of Ali Shamkhani.”

Shamkhani is the Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council.

“However, for the Saudis, the deal… gives them the ability to pursue their primary goals, which are about building the economic strength of their country and carrying forward the social reforms” that the country needs under the leadership of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman “with what they will see as enhanced protection against Iranian direct or proxy attack.”.

The Kingdom has been searching for a different approach toward Iran to minimize the threats against Saudi Arabia, said Anna Jacobs, a senior Gulf analyst at the International Crisis Group.

Instead of trying to isolate Iran, Saudi Arabia is now “looking to counter, contain and engage Iran,” she said.

“Many experts still assume that whoever is in the White House will guide Saudi policy on Iran,” Jacobs said, “but that simply isn’t true today.”

“Saudi Arabia and Gulf Arab states are focusing on their economic, political, and security interests and protecting themselves from regional threats,” including the potential for escalating tensions between Iran and Israel,” she added.



Egypt and Oman Discuss Red Sea Security, Bilateral Cooperation

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty meets with Oman’s Deputy Prime Minister Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Said. (Egypt’s Foreign Affairs Ministry)
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty meets with Oman’s Deputy Prime Minister Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Said. (Egypt’s Foreign Affairs Ministry)
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Egypt and Oman Discuss Red Sea Security, Bilateral Cooperation

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty meets with Oman’s Deputy Prime Minister Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Said. (Egypt’s Foreign Affairs Ministry)
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty meets with Oman’s Deputy Prime Minister Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Said. (Egypt’s Foreign Affairs Ministry)

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty discussed escalating security tensions in the Red Sea during a visit to Oman on Monday, stressing the importance of maritime safety, freedom of international trade, and the direct link to the security of Red Sea littoral states.

Abdelatty highlighted the economic impact of the tensions on Egypt, particularly the decline in Suez Canal revenues, which fell from $9.4 billion in 2022–2023 to $7.2 billion in 2023–2024 due to the Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait.

The attacks, carried out in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, have forced global shipping companies to reroute vessels through the Cape of Good Hope.

During his meeting with Oman’s Deputy Prime Minister Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Said, Abdelatty expressed Egypt’s appreciation for the sultanate’s leadership and its stabilizing regional role.

According to a statement by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, he emphasized the need for Arab cooperation to address the region’s unprecedented instability, underscoring Egypt’s commitment to working closely with Oman to promote security and stability.

Abdelatty also met with his Omani counterpart Badr Al-Busaidi to discuss bilateral ties and regional issues. They reviewed existing cooperation frameworks and explored ways to boost relations, especially in trade, investments, and logistics.

The Egyptian official highlighted his country’s economic reform program and its efforts to attract foreign investment by improving the business climate and offering incentives.

The ministers discussed bolstering cooperation between the Suez Canal Economic Zone and Oman’s Special Economic Zone at Duqm, as well as strengthening maritime links between key ports, such as Duqm, Salalah, Alexandria, and Ain Sokhna. Such initiatives aim to boost trade and deepen collaboration in logistics and maritime transport, leveraging both nations’ strategic geographic locations.

Regional topics, including developments in Syria, Gaza, Yemen, Libya, Lebanon, and the Horn of Africa, were also addressed. The ministers expressed concern over the impact of Red Sea tensions on littoral states and shared a commitment to finding comprehensive political solutions for these crises.