US Envoy For Iran Briefs Saudi Diplomat On Vienna Talks

US Special Envoy for Iran Rob Malley has met with Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the international organizations to discuss the latest developments in Iran nuclear talks.

Prince Abdullah bin Khalid Al Saud met Malley on Friday after separate meetings with representatives of France and Russia this week.

The US State Department said earlier in the week that such periodic meetings “are part of the US commitment to consulting closely with our regional partners on the ongoing talks”.

Russian chief negotiator Mikhail Ulyanov tweeted a photo of his meetingwith the Saudi envoy, saying that he briefed the Saudi side on the latest developments in the Vienna talks.

Last week, Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud reiterated Riyadh’s concerns about Iran’s “destabilizing role” and “transgressions” in its nuclear program.

Riyadh and Tehran held talks last year to reduce tensions with the aim of restoring diplomatic ties broken since January 2016. So far, the talks have been exploratory with no tangible results.

The eighth round of talks to salvage the 2015 nuclear agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Actions, is underway in Vienna. However, Iranian and US officials don’t meet face-to-face, communicating through other participants.