For the kingdom, this represents a valuable economic profit, let alone the fact that Saudi Arabia does not wish to restrict any Islamic country from participating in the hajj to preserve its reputation in the Islamic world. Furthermore, Iran is not willing to restrict its citizens from performing the hajj as Iranian pilgrims would look for other ways to go at the expense of governmental control and supervision involving such a sensitive issue as the hajj.
As far as regional disputes, recent developments seem to be bringing the two rivals closer to reconciliation. First, Lebanon saw the formation of a Cabinet after a long period of deadlock. The Future Movement — close to Saudi Arabia and led by Prime Minister Saad Hariri, who holds dual Lebanese and Saudi citizenship — reached a political consensus with Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite party close to Iran. It is not unlikely that rapprochement will also be the case in Yemen and Syria, especially since the new US administration wishes to pacify the situation in the Middle East and bring about a relatively more stable status quo.
Despite the obvious change in Saudi Arabia and Iran’s public policies in the direction of bilateral relations, there are still some voices, particularly from the military, calling for the continuation of the cold war pitting the two countries against each other. On Jan. 14, the commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Iranian Kurdistan, Mohammad Hussein Rajabi, criticized the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government for allowing Saudi Arabia to open its consulate in Erbil, accusing it of espionage and conspiracy against Iran.
Iraq's religious and political diversity represents a strong political asset that could enable the country to achieve a successful mediation between Iran and Saudi Arabia. For instance, Kurdistan and Sunni parties maintain good relations with Saudi Arabia and Shiite parties have similar relationships with Iran that can be invoked by Iraqi diplomats to bring about the reconciliation.
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