The Saudi-Iranian agreement sponsored by China a year ago was the culmination of five rounds of negotiations mediated by Iraq (Reuters)

Tehran -

On the first anniversary of the Chinese-sponsored Iranian-Saudi agreement that put an end to the seven-year rift between the two neighboring countries, a segment of Iranian public opinion wonders about the extent of the agreement’s success in bringing the views of Islamic countries closer together and reducing tension in the Middle East, and whether bilateral relations between... Both countries achieved the desired level.

What are the roots of the dispute?

Both Iran and Saudi Arabia have an important geopolitical and geoeconomic position in the Middle East region, but their bilateral relations have been characterized by tension and estrangement for decades due to ideological and economic competition and differing political positions regarding developments in the region.

Although the attack by Iranian protesters on the headquarters of the Saudi embassy in Tehran in 2016 following Riyadh’s execution of the Shiite cleric Nimr Baqir al-Nimr was the straw that broke the camel’s back, it was not the first rupture in the history of the two Muslim countries, as Tehran had previously severed its relations with Riyadh in 1943 following the execution of... The kingdom is an Iranian pilgrim.

How did you turn the page on the dispute?

The dispute between the two sides was repeated repeatedly, especially due to events witnessed during the Hajj seasons, but the revolutionary rhetoric raised by the Islamic Republic in its early years, the Iran-Iraq war (1980-1988), and the Gulf position in support of the regime in Iraq opened a new page of tension between Riyadh and Tehran, before it improved. During the era of former presidents Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Mohammad Khatami.

In the last round of tension, the two regional powers continued the finger-biting battle for a period that lasted 7 years, but the mediations succeeded in making the reasons for the dispute forgotten. After 5 rounds of negotiations mediated by Iraq, China’s diplomacy succeeded in March 2023 in detonating a surprise represented by the announcement of the restoration of relations. Diplomacy between Tehran and Riyadh.

How do Iranian circles evaluate the agreement?

The Iranian ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Ali Reza Enayati, describes the nature of bilateral relations between the two countries as “very positive” and that “the two sides have accomplished much of what the leaders recommended,” adding, “We do not say that we were able to obtain everything that meets our ambitions during the past period.”

Speaking to Al Jazeera Net, the Iranian ambassador in Riyadh added that "we are at the beginning of the road, but the road of a thousand miles begins with traveling one mile," stressing that "since the announcement of reconciliation, the two brotherly and neighboring countries have taken bold steps within a short period of time, represented by the exchange of ambassadors and the opening of diplomatic representations."

Enayati continued that the two countries are serious about strengthening bilateral relations and completing the bridge of relations that began to be built since the announcement of the Beijing Agreement and working to consolidate cooperation at various levels of political, economic, security, cultural, tourism and other intra-relations.

He believed that relations between Tehran and Riyadh are developing in accordance with the policy and map drawn by President Ibrahim Raisi since he assumed the reins of power in 2021 and his emphasis on the necessity of developing Tehran’s relations with neighboring countries, based on the principles of good neighbourliness.

He concluded that his country is looking forward to a multilateral vision in the region and the advancement of bilateral relations to collective cooperation at various levels with the participation of the countries of the region, leading to a new regional order in which the countries of West Asia play an important role in order to meet the aspirations of their people.

Enayati believes that Tehran and Riyadh are serious about completing the bridge of relations that began to be built since the announcement of the Beijing agreement (Iranian press)

What did reconciliation achieve politically?

The former Iranian ambassador to Armenia and Brazil, Ali Saqqian, believes that simply resuming diplomatic relations and putting an end to the estrangement between Tehran and Riyadh is considered a “positive step” that was inevitable, stressing that the two countries have made great strides towards reuniting the Islamic nation by putting their differences aside, according to His expression.

Speaking to Al Jazeera Net, the former Iranian diplomat refers to the exchange of ambassadors and shuttle visits between Iranian and Saudi officials and the security discussions between the relevant authorities in the two countries.

He explained that the normalization of relations between them had a positive impact on Tehran’s relations with a number of other Arab countries, such as Bahrain, Egypt and Jordan, as access through the Saudi portal is capable of opening many doors closed to Tehran in West Asia and North Africa.

Saqaian considered that the Iranian-Saudi reconciliation “has actually obstructed the train of Arab normalization with the Zionist entity, and reduced American influence in the West Asia region, as we see that Riyadh does not go along with the policies of the American-British alliance in the Red Sea, and it also contributed to removing the specter of tension from the region.”

He believed that the bridges that were destroyed over a period of 7 years during the period of estrangement cannot be restored overnight, adding that the very close positions of both Tehran and Riyadh on the necessity of stopping the ongoing Israeli aggression against Gaza are the best evidence of the effectiveness of reconciliation between them and its repercussions on regional files.

How was the agreement reflected in trade relations?

Ruhollah Latifi, spokesman for the International Relations and Trade Development Committee at the Iranian House of Industry, Commerce and Mines, believes that reconciliation has had little impact on trade exchanges between Iran and Saudi Arabia so far.

In an interview with Al Jazeera Net, Latifi explained that the trade balance between Tehran and Riyadh had reached 800 million dollars before the rift in 2016 before falling to zero afterward, adding that trade exchange had increased before the reconciliation due to the positive news that was being published at the time to about 15 million dollars, but it It fell to less than $1 million on the first anniversary of the signing of the agreement.

He concluded that despite the will of the Iranian and Saudi sides, trade exchanges between them did not rise to the desired level for political reasons related to the Saudi side first, and the threat reconciliation represents to some regional and international powers second.

Why did the agreement not achieve the desired level?

Ali Bekdali, professor of international relations at Shahid Beheshti University, believes that the goal of normalizing relations differs for both Tehran and Riyadh, and that what each of the two countries has achieved varies according to what it wants from it, stressing that the continued security outlook and the crisis of confidence in Iranian-Saudi relations have prevented the achievement of reconciliation. The required level.

Speaking to Al Jazeera Net, the Iranian academic believes that the Saudi side engaged in marathon negotiations in Baghdad, Muscat and Beijing to overcome the obstacles that would obstruct the 2030 project and vision, which justified Riyadh to end the state of hostility with the Islamic Republic, stressing that reconciliation has relatively achieved what the Kingdom aims for, especially In neutralizing threats, reducing tension, and eliminating problems, to ensure the success of the policies of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

He saw the stability of the Saudi embassy in a hotel in the capital, Tehran, a year after the reconciliation, the failure of efforts to resume Umrah trips for Iranians last February, the failure to elect a president for the Republic of Lebanon, the failure to reach peace between Riyadh and Sanaa, and the widening rift in the positions of Iran and the other side. Al-Khaleeji about the “Durrah/Arash Field” for natural gas indicates the fragility of the Iranian-Saudi agreement.

He concluded that despite all the praise for reconciliation, it did not culminate in the signing of another agreement except the resumption of bilateral relations, and that Iranian steps to build confidence, such as canceling entry visas for Saudi nationals, were not met with similar Saudi steps, and that the Saudi Crown Prince has not yet responded to the Iranian call. To visit Tehran, despite President Raisi’s visit to Riyadh, which indicates that these endeavors come from one side.

Source: Al Jazeera