Saudi Minister Nixes Press Conference in Room with Suleimani Photo

The visit of Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister to Tehran attracted international attention on June 17 when he asked to switch the location of his joint press conference with his Iranian counterpart because the room featured a photo of late Iranian general Qassem Suleimani on the wall.

Twenty-four hours after the incident, Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian confirmed that his press briefing with Prince Faisal bin Farhan was held in a different room because of the presence of Suleimani's portrait in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' hall.

He also explained that Suleimani was a symbol of "unity and brotherhood among the Islamic world."

Suleimani, who headed the Quds force, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’s (IRGC) expeditionary arm, was killed in a US drone strike in Iraq in January 2020. The general was on Saudi Arabia’s terrorist list but he is hailed as a national hero among Islamic Republic supporters.

Prince Farhan’s trip to the Iranian capital was the latest step in the restoration of diplomatic ties between the two regional rivals. In March, Tehran and Riyadh agreed to re-establish diplomatic relations and reopen embassies after seven years of tensions. 

In the past, the foreign ministers of Qatar and European countries held press conferences in the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs' hall next to a picture of Suleimani, without triggering controversy. Enrique Mora, deputy secretary-general of the EU’s European External Action Service, was also photographed in the same hall.

However, the relationship between Iran and Saudi Arabia carries a different dynamic, and Saudi Arabian officials paid much attention to the details surrounding Prince Farhan’s visit.

It is likely that the Islamic Republic authorities were inclined to publish a picture of the Saudi minister positioned next to or beneath the portrait of Suleimani. This image could have been used for propaganda purposes.

Saudi Arabia and Bahrain have both included Suleimani on their respective lists of terrorists, emphasizing their deep concerns regarding the activities of the late Quds Force commander. 

However, former Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif said in a leaked audio file that Suleimani had expressed his willingness to engage in direct negotiations with Saudi Arabia prior to the negotiations that led to the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers.

Zarif said in the audio file: "I asked him [Suleimani], 'The Saudis say they don't accept me and instead want to talk to you directly, are you ready to sit down and talk to the Saudis?' He replied, 'Yes.'"

According to various accounts, the plot to assassinate Suleimani gained momentum following the Islamic Republic's attacks on Aramco facilities in Saudi Arabia. 

The New York Times reported that the United States began to seriously consider killing the Iranian general after attacks targeted Saudi oil tankers and facilities. 

The newspaper further reported that Saudi Arabia had concerns about the United States lacking a plan to address the repercussions of these attacks. However, these concerns were alleviated after a meeting between Khalid bin Salman, the brother of the Saudi crown prince, and White House officials.

Prior to that, the New York Times reported that senior aides to Ahmad Asiri, a Saudi army commander, had discussed plans to fund a plan to assassinate Suleimani with several private companies. However, the seriousness of such a plan remained unclear.