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Saudi Arabia Seeks to Ease Tensions with Iran
(Wall Street Journal) Benoit Faucon - Saudi Arabia is quietly trying to mend fences with Iran and other regional foes as officials in the kingdom have grown more worried about the risks conflict poses to its oil-dependent economy. Saudi calculations changed after a cruise-missile and drone strike - blamed on Tehran - temporarily disabled a large portion of the country's crude production earlier this year. "The Sept. 14 attack was a game-changer," one Saudi official said. Representatives of Saudi Arabia and Iran have directly exchanged messages in recent months and also communicated through intermediaries in Oman, Kuwait and Pakistan, according to Saudi, European and U.S. officials. According to Iran's ambassador to Paris, Bahram Ghasemi, Tehran has floated a peace plan to the Saudis that includes a mutual pledge of nonaggression and cooperation, aimed at securing oil exports following a spate of tanker attacks. Saudi Arabia doesn't "trust the Iranians," said a Saudi official, but Riyadh hopes it "can at least come to an agreement to stop possible attacks in the future."