Iran and Saudi Arabia, whose disagreements have escalated to alarming levels, need to enter into direct and serious dialogue to find a way to serve their mutual interests, a former diplomat said.
Hossein Sadeqi, Iran’s former ambassador to Saudi Arabia, said the two countries have three options with regard to their policies toward each other, IRNA reported.
“The first choice is to proceed with the current situation … to continue the hostility and use all resources to hit the other side,” he said at a conference on the prospects of Iran-Saudi Arabia ties in Tehran on Sunday.
The other approach, he added, is for the two countries to directly confront each other in a battle.
However, “the third and the best strategy is to move toward interaction and cooperation”, he said.
The former diplomat said Iran and its neighbor need to reconcile themselves to a share of regional benefits in proportion with their contribution.
Sadeqi noted that the two countries should recognize each other’s interests and, at the same time, create bonds in economic, cultural and security areas so that the relations gradually lead to mutual progress.
"Otherwise, if such policy changes are not made, there is no bright prospect for the normalization of ties between the two regional heavyweights," he concluded.
Tehran and Riyadh have been supporting opposing sides in regional conflicts.
Moreover, Saudi Arabia has backed the United States in its hostile policies against Iran. The kingdom was also among a handful of countries that took the side of the US after it withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal and reimposed sanctions on Tehran.
