Bilateral relations between Riyadh and Tehran have been strained over several geopolitical issues. The two regional rivals broke diplomatic ties in 2016 but have recently engaged in four rounds of direct negotiations to resolve regional disputes. Yemen remains a battleground between the two countries who are seen as supporting opposing sides. However, recent diplomatic developments reflect the potential for improving ties and a possible exchange of diplomats between the two countries. What is the future of Iran and Saudi’s shared leadership of the region and what conditions might need to be met for normalcy in Saudi–Iran relations?

HESHAM ALGHANNAM is a Saudi political scientist and Fulbright scholar. He is a senior research fellow at the Gulf Research Centre (GRC), Cambridge, and a geopolitical expert and strategy adviser to senior executives operating globally. He has written on the political economy of GCC States, Iran’s nuclear program, the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, and on political conflict between the GCC States and Iran.

MARIA FANTAPPIE is Special Adviser for the Middle East and North Africa region at The Center for Humanitarian Dialogue. Previously, she served as Senior Adviser for the International Crisis Group, engaging with policymakers on Iraq, Syria and the Kurdish issue at some of the highest levels of government in the US, Europe and the Middle East. In 2018, she was seconded by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the EU mission in Iraq.

ADNAN TABATABAI is co-founder and CEO of the Germany-based Middle East think tank Center for Applied Research in Partnership with the Orient (CARPO). As an Iran analyst he is consulted by European policymakers and businesses on Iran’s domestic and international affairs. Through his work at CARPO, Tabatabai has designed and facilitated track 2 and civil-society dialogue formats between Iran and Saudi Arabia since 2015.