ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iran’s ambassador on Sunday conveyed the leadership in Tehran’s gratitude for the role played by Baghdad in paving the way towards the restoration of formal ties with Saudi Arabia seven years after they were severed.
Iran’s ambassador to Iraq Mohammad Kazem Al-e Sadeq met with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani in Baghdad where the two discussed bilateral relations.
A statement by Sudani’s office stated that the ambassador “conveyed the Iranian leadership's thanks and appreciation for the efforts made by Iraq to pave the way for rapprochement between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
Iraq hosted several rounds of talks between Tehran and Riyadh, aimed at reconciliation, since April 2021.
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.
Diplomatic ties were cut in 2016 when Iranian protestors attacked Saudi diplomatic missions in retaliation to the Sunni kingdom's execution of Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr.
Both nations have also supported opposing forces in several conflict zones across the region, most notably in Yemen, where Iran backs the Houthi rebels while Saudi Arabia leads a military coalition supporting the government.
On Friday, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to restore ties following five days of China-brokered talks in Beijing.
During the meeting, Sudani also reaffirmed “Iraq’s balanced policy supporting the dialogue approach to achieve regional stability.”
Prior to the meeting with Sudani, Al-e Sadeq also met with Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid. According to Iran’s state-run IRNA, the ambassador also extended an invitation to Tehran from Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi to Latif.
