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by i24 News and Algemeiner Staff
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian meets with Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud in Tehran, Iran, June 17, 2023. Photo: Majid Asgaripour/WANA via REUTERS
i24 News — After months of anticipation, which followed years of ruptured relations, Saudi Arabia and Iran have finally cemented the restoration of diplomatic ties.
On Tuesday, the Saudi ambassador to Tehran arrived in the Islamic Republic, and his counterpart landed in Riyadh. It marks a new phase in ties between Shiite-dominated Iran and Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia after the sides agreed back in March to resume diplomatic relations severed in 2016, and to reopen respective embassies, following a deal brokered by China.
“We are following several foreign policy issues at the same time. We pursued the question of relations with neighbors and succeeded. We managed to reestablish our ties with Muslim countries with which there were problems. The status of our political, economic, and trade relations with those countries is now remarkable,” said Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi last week.
Upon his arrival in Tehran, Saudi Ambassador Abdullah Alanazi said that strengthening ties with Iran, and taking the relationship to “broader horizons” is a priority for the kingdom. His Iranian counterpart, Alireza Enayati, was greeted in Riyadh by the country’s foreign ministry officials as well as Iranian embassy staff.
“Iran and Saudi Arabia are neighbors and with your neighbors you can engage economically easier. There have been some limited economic linkage between Iran and Saudi Arabia. I think as we go forward, this could expand,” said Iranian analyst Foad Izadi.
Last month, the two countries’ top diplomats met in Riyadh, where the Iranian minister said bilateral ties were progressing in the right direction.
“It is important to continue consultation and coordination in the coming period, in addition to steps taken towards implementing the agreement to resume diplomatic relations, which represents a pivotal shift in the history of the two countries and the path of regional security,” said Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan.
The next step of the rapprochement is an expected visit by Iranian President Raisi to the kingdom at the invitation of King Salman. But as the sides continue to move closer, the longstanding mistrust between them isn’t expected to go anywhere. At least not anytime soon.
