ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iran and Saudi Arabia on Friday agreed to restore ties that were severed seven years ago, declaring their “decisive will” to strengthen regional and international peace and security, according to a joint statement.
China hosted five days of talks in Beijing between Iran’s secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani and Saudi Arabia’s National Security Adviser Musaad bin Mohammed al-Aiban that concluded on Friday with the signing of an agreement between all three parties.
“As a result of the talks, the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia agreed to resume diplomatic relations and reopen embassies and agencies within two months,” read a joint statement published by state media in both countries, adding that Iranian and Saudi foreign ministers will meet to discuss implementing the decision.
The Sunni kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Shiite-majority Iran 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. The two severed ties in 2016 when Iranian protestors attacked the Saudi diplomatic mission in Tehran in retaliation to the kingdom's execution of a prominent Shiite cleric.
Tensions between the regional powers have cast long shadows, including in conflict-torn Yemen. A restoration of ties between them could impact Yemen.
The thaw between Tehran and Riyadh began in 2021 through mediation by Baghdad and Muscat. In their joint statement, Iran and Saudi Arabia said they were “grateful” for Iraq and Oman, who hosted several rounds of reconciliation talks.
China became involved when Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi visited in February, Shamkhani told Nour News. The “negotiations between Mr Xi Jinping, president of China and our president, paved the way for new and very serious negotiation between Iran and Saudi delegations,” he said.
As secretary general of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Shamkhani leads the powerful body that determines the country’s defense and national security policy. He said the rapprochement with Saudi Arabia will have regional ramifications.
“Clearing the misunderstanding and the forward-looking view in Tehran-Riyadh relations will certainly result in the expansion of stability and security of the region and more cooperation between the countries of the Persian Gulf and the Islamic world in order to manage the existing challenges,” he said.
He thanked China for facilitating the dialogue, as well as Oman and Iraq for the initial five rounds of negotiations.
Shamkhani had a phone call with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani, thanking Iraq for its “very valuable” role in restoring Tehran-Riyadh relations, according to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)-affiliated Tasnim news agency.
Iraq's Foreign Ministry in a statement said it welcomed the agreement as a "new page of diplomatic relations" that was built on the "solid base" established through Baghdad's mediation.
Nour News, which is close to Shamkhani, said that the cooperation between Iran and Saudi Arabia will prevent regional interference by the “Zionist regime” and other countries outside the region.
Updated at 5:30 pm
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