ISTANBUL

Iraq is hosting mediation talks between Egypt, Jordan, and Iran, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said on Thursday.

The top diplomat made the revelation during an interview with the Saudi-funded Al-Arabiya television, without giving any further details.

There were no comments from both Cairo and Amman on the report.

Earlier this week, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Abdollahian said improving relations between Tehran and Cairo serves the interest of the region and the world.

Diplomatic representation between Egypt and Iran is at the level of interest section office since the two countries severed their relations following the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Iraq has hosted several rounds of mediation talks between Saudi Arabia and Iran, in an effort to ease tension between the two regional arch-foes.

During the interview, Hussein called for turning the talks between Tehran and Riyadh into a “declared dialogue”.

Iran and Saudi Arabia severed diplomatic relations in January 2016 following an attack on the Saudi Embassy in Tehran after Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr was executed by Saudi authorities.

The relationship between the two rivals deteriorated further after Iran in September 2016 accused Riyadh of deliberately causing the death of around 400 Iranian pilgrims in a 2015 stampede in the Muslim holy city of Mecca.

The two sides have since been engaged in a strong regional rivalry, often accusing each other of waging a proxy war for regional influence.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar