Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Thursday, Oct 02, 2025

Iran FM and head of Saudi-based OIC hold rare direct talks

Iran FM and head of Saudi-based OIC hold rare direct talks

Iran's Foreign Minister has held talks with the head of the Jeddah-based Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, in a further indication that Saudi-Iran ties are warming.
The first talks in four years between an Iranian foreign minister and the head of the Saudi-based Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) took place on Monday, a sign of warming ties between Riyadh and Tehran.

Iran Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian spoke by phone to current OIC Secretary-General Yousef Al-Othaimeen about events in Afghanistan, The New Arab's Arabic sister service, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, said on Tuesday.

Al-Othaimeen was previously Saudi Minister of Social Affairs.

The talks between an OIC chief and a leading Iranian official is seen as an important step in efforts to broker a reconciliation between Tehran and Riyadh.

The two countries broke off diplomatic ties nearly five years ago and the OIC has long been seen as a Saudi-dominated organisation.

Earlier this week, Iran and Saudi Arabia exchanged trade for the first time since diplomatic ties were cut.

Amir-Abdollahian expressed appreciation to Al-Othaimeen for helping Iran to re-open its representative office to the OIC in Jeddah. The office had been closed since 2017.

Tehran and Riyadh broke off diplomatic relations in 2016 after an angry backlash in Iran over the execution of Saudi Shia cleric Nimr Al-Nimr.

During talks with Al-Othaimeen, Amir-Abdollahian also warned that "extremist currents are one of the most important problems", for the OIC urging the organization to "play a more active role in Afghanistan".

This was in reference to an Islamic State suicide attack on Shia Muslim worshippers at an Afghan mosque last week which left dozens dead.

Al-Othaimeen condemned the attack, adding that is crucial for an inclusive government to be formed in Kabul that respects women's rights.

The country cannot be turned into a "safe place for terror groups", he said.

The OIC secretary-general said IS wants to spread "sectarian division in Afghanistan" and that the Islamic body "does not differentiate between those of different Islamic schools".

"All Muslims enjoy equal citizenship rights, and it is not permissible whatsoever to target Muslims and worshippers from any sect with terrorist attacks," he explained.

Tehran and Riyadh have held four rounds of reconciliation talks so far, with one of these under the new government of President Ebrahim Raisi, which was formed towards the end of August.

It is expected more rounds of talks will take place soon.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
Nvidia and Abu Dhabi’s TII Launch First AI-&-Robotics Lab in the Middle East
UK, Canada, and Australia Officially Recognise Palestine in Historic Shift
New Eye Drops Show Promise in Replacing Reading Glasses for Presbyopia
Dubai Property Boom Shows Strain as Flippers Get Buyer’s Remorse
Top AI Researchers Are Heading Back to China as U.S. Struggles to Keep Pace
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
UAE-US Stargate Project Poised to Make Abu Dhabi a Global AI Powerhouse
Trump and Starmer Clash Over UK Recognition of Palestinian State Amid State Visit
Saudi Arabia cracks down on music ‘lounges’ after conservative backlash
Saudi Arabia Signs ‘Strategic Mutual Defence’ Pact with Pakistan, Marking First Arab State to Gain Indirect Access to Nuclear Strike Capabilities in the Region
Sam Altman sells the 'Wedding Estate' in Hawaii for 49 million dollars
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
Kuwait opens bidding for construction of three cities to ease housing crunch.
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Did the Houthis disrupt the internet in the Middle East? Submarine cables cut in the Red Sea
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Iran Faces Escalating Water Crisis as Protests Spread
More Than Half a Million Evacuated as Typhoon Kajiki Heads for Vietnam
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
×