Saudi Arabia - International Studies of Strategic and Geopolitics

Iran’s Raisi welcomes invitation from king to visit Saudi Arabia

19Mar

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Middle East

Iran’s Raisi welcomes invitation from king to visit Saudi Arabia

Iranian president has received an invitation to visit Saudi Arabia following reconciliation deal, Iranian official says. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has favourably received an invitation from Saudi Arabia’s King Salman to visit the kingdom following the reconciliation deal between the two countries, an Iranian official has said. “In a letter to President Raisi … the King of Saudi Arabia welcomed the deal between the two brotherly countries [and] invited him to Riyadh,” tweeted Mohammad Jamshidi, the Iranian president’s deputy chief of staff for political affairs, adding to this Sunday message that “Raisi welcomed the invitation”. The two regional heavyweights announced on March 10 a Chinese-brokered deal to restore ties seven years after they were severed. Riyadh cut relations afte...

Netanyahu discusses with US security advisor ‘normalizing ties’ with Saudi Arabia

19Jan

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Middle East

Netanyahu discusses with US security advisor ‘normalizing ties’ with Saudi Arabia

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed normalizing ties with Saudi Arabia in talks with visiting White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Thursday, his office said. Netanyahu, who returned to power last month with the formation of a new government, was also at the helm in 2020 when Israel established ties with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco as part of the Abraham Accords. The Israeli premier has repeatedly expressed his desire to see Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam, join the list. In their talks, Netanyahu and Sullivan discussed “measures to deepen the Abraham Accords and expand the cycle of peace, with an emphasis on a breakthrough with Saudi,” the Israeli leader's office said in a statement. They also discussed joint efforts to curb Ira...

Biden improves US-Saudi cooperation to confront Iran, say officials

7Jan

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Middle East, Americas

Biden improves US-Saudi cooperation to confront Iran, say officials

US officials have detected improved cooperation between the US and Saudi Arabia in recent weeks, three months after relations reached a historic low between the two countries. The Wall Street Journal quoted officials in the administration of US President Joe Biden stating: "The Biden administration has dropped threats to retaliate against Saudi Arabia for an oil-production cut last year and is moving to step up security coordination to counter Iran in 2023." The officials said that officers from both countries are: "Pressing ahead with new military and intelligence projects and sensitive efforts to contain Iran amid stalled efforts to revive the international nuclear deal with Tehran." In December, the Biden administration and Saudi officials worked to overturn a bill in Congress that w...

Netanyahu has his sights set on peace with Saudi Arabia – but is it feasible?

27Dec

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Middle East

Netanyahu has his sights set on peace with Saudi Arabia – but is it feasible?

While peace with Riyadh is a top priority for the incoming government, there are many significant barriers in the way, despite the common interests the two nations share with regard to Iran, experts say. Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu said last week that he hopes to bring about "a full, formal peace" with Saudi Arabia, as Israel has done with other Gulf states. However, analysts say there are several significant obstacles to achieving full normalization with the Saudis. According to Eytan Gilboa, professor of political science at Bar-Ilan University and senior fellow at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security (JISS), the chances of peace between Jerusalem and Riyadh are "low." For starters, noted Gilboa, the Saudis have been consistent in their call for Palestinia...