The restoration of ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia has injected a sense of “controlled calm” in some regional settings where the two powers have clashed in the past. Pointing to the lowering of tensions, a Gulf diplomatic source told Amwaj.media, “Both countries need de-escalation even if it comes at the expense of [their stances in] some arenas and dossiers.”

In the new interest-driven regional context, there are indications that Egypt and Jordan may soon follow the Kingdom in entering new chapters with Iran. As with the Iranian-Saudi dialogue, Iraq and Oman are facilitating the expanded Arab-Iranian engagement—but with different roles.

Egypt-Iran dialogue

In the spring of 2021, Iraq began hosting a series of dialogues between Arab states and Iran. The Iranian-Saudi engagement has gotten most attention. But in the shadow, talks between Egypt and Iran were also facilitated by Baghdad. Iraq’s then-prime minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi (2020-22) kicked off the effort by...