The story: Iran’s foreign minister has concluded a tour of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states. The outreach involved visits to neighboring Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In the wake of the tour, reports have emerged about aviation links and oil cooperation being on the agenda as Iran and Saudi Arabia advance their rapprochement. The Islamic Republic has also made clear that it “welcomes” efforts to set up a summit with the foreign ministers of GCC states and Iraq in New York.

Meanwhile, Qatar has hosted nuclear talks between top Iranian and EU officials. In a month that has seen positive signals from both western states and the Islamic Republic, this indicates ongoing efforts to avoid all-out confrontation.

The regional tour: Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian was last week hosted by...