サウジ・イラン外交関係正常化、習主席が「橋渡し」申し出

【リヤド（サウジアラビア）ＡＦＰ＝時事】中東の大国であるサウジアラビアとイランが先週、中国の仲介で外交関係の正常化に合意したことは、世界を驚かせた。同国の習近平国家主席が、サウジの事実上の指導者ムハンマド・ビン・サルマン皇太子に「橋渡し」役を買って出たことがはじまりだったと、匿名で取材に応じたサウジ高官が１５日、明らかにした。（写真はイラン〈左〉、サウジアラビアの国旗）
　習氏は昨年１２月、サウジの首都リヤドで行われた首脳会談の際に「サウジとイランの懸け橋になりたい」と仲介を申し出て、ムハンマド皇太子がこれを受け入れたという。
　この高官によるとサウジは中国について、中東で比類のない「影響力」を行使できる極めて「独自」の立場にあるとみなしている。「特にイランにとって中国は他に代えがたい、１、２位を争う国際パートナーだ」と述べた。
　サウジとイランの対話の下地は、リヤド会談以降もいくつかの閣僚級会合を通して整えられたという。
　サウジアラビアは歴史的に米国と緊密な関係を築いてきただけに、中国の関与は驚きをもって受け止められてもいる。
　この高官によると、米国にはサウジから事前に説明があった。「米国も中国も非常に重要なパートナーであり、わが国はこの２大国間の競争や紛争の当事者にはなりたくない」と語った。
　米国のアントニー・ブリンケン国務長官は１５日、「わが国からすれば、緊張緩和や紛争回避につながり、イランによる危険かつ不安定な動きを少しでも抑止できるのであれば、どのようなことでも助けになる」と控えめに称賛した。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2023/03/17-15:35）

Chinese leader Xi Jinping approached Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler last year about Beijing serving as a bridge between the kingdom and Iran, jump-starting talks that yielded last week's surprise rapprochement, a Saudi official said Wednesday.
The initial conversation between Xi and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman took place during bilateral talks at a summit in Riyadh in December, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe how the deal -- whose ripple effects could spread across the Middle East -- took shape.
The Chinese president expressed his desire for China to be a bridge between Saudi Arabia and Iran. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince welcomed this, the official said, later adding that Riyadh sees Beijing as being in a unique position to wield unmatched leverage in the Gulf.
For Iran in particular, China is either No 1 or No 2 in terms of its international partners. And so the leverage is important in that regard, and you cannot have an alternative that is equal in importance, the official said.
Several other meetings also laid the groundwork for last week's talks in Beijing, according to the official.
They included a brief exchange between the Saudi and Iranian foreign ministers during a regional summit in Jordan in late December, talks between the Saudi foreign minister and Iran's deputy president during the inauguration of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in January, and a visit by Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi to Beijing in February.
- Two superpowers -
China's role makes it more likely the terms of the deal will hold, the official said.
It is a major stakeholder in the security and stability of the Gulf, the official said.
The agreement identifies a two-month window to formally resume diplomatic ties severed seven years ago.
It also includes vows for each side to respect the other's sovereignty and not interfere in the other's internal affairs.
China's involvement raised eyebrows given Saudi Arabia's historically close partnership with the United States, though that relationship has been strained by issues including human rights and oil production cuts approved last year by the OPEC+ cartel.
The US and China are both very important partners... We certainly hope not to be... party to any competition or dispute between the two superpowers, the official said Wednesday.
US officials were briefed before the Saudi delegation travelled to Beijing and before the deal was announced, the official said.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday offered guarded praise to China for brokering the deal, saying it could benefit the region.
From our perspective, anything that can help reduce tensions, avoid conflict and deter in any way dangerous and destabilising actions by Iran is a good thing, Blinken told reporters on a visit to Ethiopia.
- 'Stop supplying weapons' -
The talks in Beijing involved five very extensive sessions on thorny issues including the war in Yemen.
Iran-backed Huthi rebels seized control of Yemen's capital in 2014, prompting a Saudi-led intervention the following year.
The Saudi official said the talks produced concrete commitments on Yemen, but he would not disclose them.
Iran is the main supplier of weapons, training and ideological programmes and propaganda expertise to the Huthis and we are the main victim of these missiles and drones and other stuff, the official said.
So Iran can do a lot and should do a lot, he continued, adding that Iran should stop supplying the Huthis with weapons.
Riyadh is in back channel talks with the Huthis to revive a truce that expired in October and push towards a political settlement involving all Yemeni factions, the official said.
We also share a long border with Yemen, and certainly we will not tolerate any threat to our security from any place, he said.
The Beijing talks also saw the renewal of a commitment by both sides not to attack each other in the media, the official said.
But the official said Saudi Arabia does not have control over Iran International, a Persian-language channel that Tehran considers a terrorist organisation.
Tehran has accused Saudi Arabia of financing the channel, which moved to Washington from London in February.
Regarding Iran International, we continue to assert that it is not a Saudi media outlet and has nothing to do with Saudi Arabia. It is a private investment, the Saudi official said.
The next step in implementing the rapprochement deal is a meeting between the Saudi and Iranian foreign ministers, but no date has been set, the official said.