TEHRAN – Kuwait is ready to act as a go-between to deescalate tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia when appropriate conditions are created, a Turkish news agency reported on Tuesday.

“Kuwait is ready to pursue its mediation between Saudi Arabia and Iran when the appropriate conditions are created,” Anadolu Agency quoted diplomatic sources familiar with the matter at Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry as saying.

The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that “the exchange of ideas and discussion in order to bring closer points of view has not been stopped, and it is constantly continuing.”

“Kuwait has always sought to bridge the gap in viewpoints and resolve differences through diplomatic ways,” the sources continued, noting that there is no mediation at present.

They added, “All that was published about the resumption of mediation is nothing but analyses that are not based on accurate information.”

According to the sources, the points of difference between Saudi Arabia and Iran are not limited to Yemen, but rather to Iraq, Syria and Lebanon as well, and all these files are interrelated.

The sources noted that “the agreement of the two sides reflects positively on the region in general, which is what Kuwait seeks on a permanent basis and hopes to achieve.”

Kuwait has been mediating between Qatar and the so-called Arab Quartet, which includes Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. Kuwait also seems to be conveying messages between Iran and some countries of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council. On January 26, Deputy Foreign Minister of Iran Seyed Abbas Araghchi visited Kuwait to tell the Arab country that Iran will not negotiate with the West over the region’s issues.

“I met today with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Kuwait and it was a very useful meeting during which I confirmed that the Islamic Republic of Iran will not negotiate with the member states of the nuclear agreement on any issue other than the method of implementation. Regarding the security of the Persian Gulf region, we are ready for dialogue exclusively with the countries of the region without any foreign intervention,” Araghchi said in a tweet following a meeting with the top Kuwaiti diplomat.

Iranian foreign minister also echoed the same position since Joe Biden took office. He reiterated on various occasions that Iran will not negotiate with the West on regional issues in a bid to soothe Iran’s Arab neighbors’ concerns about a possible bargain between Iran and the West.
 
SM/PA