Iran deadlocks talks, blames Saudis for supporting anti-regime protests

Iraq’s new Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al Sudani visited Tehran last month and proposed arranging a further round of talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia, but Iranian officials denied the request, claiming that Riyadh supported the growing wave of protests in Iran against the regime, the Associated Press reported.

The talks between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which had been showing gradual progress, remain stalled. Tehran and Riyadh concluded five rounds of talks mediated by Baghdad last April and Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh described them as positive. However, the sixth round is yet to be scheduled.

Ahmed Alqarout, a London-based MENA political economy analyst, told The Media Line that Iran’s claim of Saudi support for the anti-government protests is based on actions like Riyadh’s backing of London-based media outlet Iran International, which has been reporting sympathetically on the protests. The channel is owned by Volant Media UK, whose principal shareholder is Saudi national Adel Alabdulkarim, and which has ties to the Saudi royal family. READ MORE