Renewed ties: How Saudi Arabia and Iran are navigating regional conflicts through diplomacy

Report by Toni Mrad, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi

After years of animosity, Saudi Arabia and Iran boldly decided in 2022 to restore diplomatic ties, and this renewal is now beginning to bear fruit. 

Despite their long-standing differences, including disputes over the Iranian nuclear program, accusations of meddling in Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq, and Syria, and divergent views on normalization with Israel, both countries have committed to managing these issues with calm and diplomacy.

Amid the ongoing war in Gaza, the two nations have proposed a joint military exercise in the Red Sea, following a similar drill in the Arabian Sea, which involved several other countries, according to the Saudi Defense Ministry. This development signals a shift in how Riyadh and Tehran approach their unresolved issues.

Meanwhile, the UAE and Iran are also showing signs of rapprochement. 

Despite escalating tensions over the ownership of the three islands in the Arabian Gulf, the Iranian and Emirati presidents held brief, informal talks in Russia during the BRICS summit. 

Dialogue continues between Iran and Egypt, with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi emphasizing the need for regional de-escalation after a meeting with his Iranian counterpart.

In a region fraught with conflict, countries are increasingly faced with two options: war, with all its devastation, or diplomacy, to resolve or mitigate disputes.