Analysis by Shirin Afkhami and Máté Szalai
The article aims at assessing the current state of Saudi-Iranian relations and the reconciliation process taking place between the two Middle Eastern countries since 2021 by overviewing the main factors both on the domestic and international levels which can serve as either incentives for cooperation or obstacles. In the domestic realm, economic considerations are the primary drivers for both governments to get closer to each other. Regionally, the Yemeni conflict, Lebanese domestic politics, as well as the Iranian nuclear question are the most important issues affecting the process. In themselves, these factors are not enough to directly lead to a break-through in negotiations, which is why the reconciliation between Iran and Saudi Arabia continues to be unstable and uneven.
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