Saudi Arabia Leads Landmark Diplomatic Efforts Between Syria, Iran, and Arab States
Saudi Arabia hosted foreign ministers from the Gulf and other Arab countries on Friday in Jeddah. Source: Saudi Press Agency / Reuters
Saudi Arabia has pushed forward several diplomatic initiatives in recent weeks, signaling a wider effort to bring stability to the region and restore cooperation between various Arab states. On Friday, Saudi Arabia held a landmark meeting in Jeddah between foreign ministers in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and their counterparts in Egypt, Iraq, and Jordan, to discuss the reentry of Syria into the Arab League. Though the meeting ended without a formal agreement regarding Syria’s status or invitation to the next Arab League summit to be held in May, the negotiations are an important development in the rapprochement between Damascus and its neighbors.
Syria was ousted from the coalition in 2011 following criticism by Arab and Western states over President Bashar al-Assad’s brutal crackdown on Arab Spring protests that swept across the region. On another front, Riyadh has launched an effort to ease tensions with Iran, marked by a highly publicized meeting in China between the two countries' foreign ministers and additional meetings between various officials hosted by Saudi Arabia. Saudi officials are also seeking to negotiate a solution with Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, which Riyadh has led military efforts against since 2015.
Saudi Arabia’s attempts to bring Syria back into the Arab fold represent a departure from its previous position, as Riyadh has historically opposed normalization with Damascus. Just before the summit on Friday, Syrian foreign minister Faisal Mekdad met with his Saudi counterpart to discuss “efforts to reach a political solution to the Syrian crisis that preserves the unity, security, and stability of Syria.” Riyadh is not the only Arab state to take steps towards normalization with Syria. Another initiative on the table at Friday’s meeting was a peace plan proposed by Jordan in February, which would “directly engage the Syrian government on a detailed plan to end the conflict,” according to an anonymous Jordan official. The plan was first proposed when Jordanian foreign minister Ayman Safadi met with President Assad in February in the first high-level meeting between the two countries since the Syrian civil conflict began.
Despite progress towards a negotiated settlement to the crisis, some Arab nations remain cautious towards Syria’s return. Qatar’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, said that the grounds for Syria’s suspension from the league still stand, “The war has stopped but Syrian people are still displaced. There are innocent people in prisons–there are many things.” According to the UNHCR, over 6.8 million Syrians remain internally displaced and 70 percent of the population is in need of humanitarian assistance.
China’s top foreign policy official meets with officials from Iran and Saudi Arabia in March. Source: China Daily / Reuters
In addition to improving ties with Syria, Saudi Arabia and Iran have engaged in unprecedented dialogue in recent weeks. At a summit in China, Riyadh, and Tehran took further steps towards normalization following an agreement brokered by China in March that promised a restoration of diplomatic relations. In a joint statement, both delegations affirmed initiatives including the resumption of flights between Saudi Arabia and Iran, the reopening of embassies and consulates, and other efforts. In the coming weeks, Riyadh is expected to host the Iranian president for the first time since 2012. Signs of reconciliation with Iran have prompted concern from the US and Israel, fearing that Saudi Arabia is moving farther away from normalization with Israel and the Western world and instead towards Iran.
Riyadh has also extended negotiations with Houthi rebels in Yemen backed by Tehran, nearly eight years after it launched a deadly military intervention in the conflict. Saudi ambassador Mohammed Al-Jaber recently visited Sanaa, the Houthi-controlled capital in Yemen, hoping to reestablish a former truce and progress towards a “comprehensive political solution.”
Saudi Arabia’s diplomatic efforts have yet to materialize into formal agreements or resolutions, however, they signal a new shift in regional ties and will continue to be watched closely by the West.