Hossein Amir-Abdollahian landed in Riyadh on Thursday on an invitation from his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan, where the two diplomats discussed cooperation opportunities and developments in regional and international matters. He later met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom’s de facto ruler, according to the Saudi foreign ministry.
“We had consultations and I think that the Saudi side tried to show its intention and will in these meetings and emphasize that the country has a different approach than the past and are ready to open a new chapter in the relations between the two countries,” Amir-Abdollahian told reporters after his visit.
“We had frank, clear, and direct discussions,” he added.
The Sunni kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Shiite-majority Iran severed ties in 2016 when Iranian protesters attacked the Saudi diplomatic mission in Tehran in retaliation to the kingdom’s execution of prominent Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr.
Both countries have had rocky relations since 1979, when Shiite revolutionaries came to power in Iran and pledged to export their revolution to the world, including Gulf countries.
A Chinese-brokered deal in March saw both countries reconcile and restore diplomatic relations around seven years after ties were cut.
According to Iranian state media, an invitation was extended to the Saudi crown prince to visit Iran during Amir-Abdollahian’s visit – one which was accepted.
Amir-Abdollahian also said that his visit would be a prelude to a meeting between Salman and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.
The Chinese-brokered rapprochement followed two years of mediation from Iraq, with Baghdad previously hosting five rounds of talks beginning in 2021 between the regional powers which brought them closer to the final agreement reached in Beijing. Oman also mediated discussions.
Iran and Saudi Arabia have been on opposing sides in various conflicts in the Middle East, including Syria, Lebanon, and most notably Yemen. In recent months, both countries have been pushing for peace talks in Yemen between the Saudi-backed government and Iranian-backed Houthi forces.
