After a seven-year diplomatic break that exacerbated hostilities from Yemen to Syria and fueled tensions in the Gulf, Iran and Saudi Arabia decided to mend fences on Friday.
After talks between the two competing Middle Eastern powers’ top security officials in Beijing, an agreement was made.
“As a result of the talks, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to resume diplomatic relations and re-open embassies…within two months,” Iranian news agency IRNA reported.
Iranian and Saudi media said a statement by the two countries emphasized respect for sovereignty and non-interference in each other’s internal affairs.
According to the Saudi state news agency, they also decided to put into effect a previous agreement on trade, economy, and investment as well as a security cooperation agreement that was signed in 2001.
Ali Shamkhani, Iran’s top security official, praised China for its part in the rapprochement when he signed the agreement with Musaed bin Mohammed Al-Aiban, Saudi Arabia’s national security adviser, according to Iran’s Nour News. For holding talks in 2021 and 2022, Saudi Arabia and Iran both expressed gratitude to Iraq and Oman.
An inquiry for comment was not quickly answered by the Chinese foreign ministry.
The two dominant Sunni and Shi’ite Muslim nations in the Middle East have been at odds for years and have supported opposing parties in proxies wars in places like Yemen and Syria.
After its embassy in Tehran was stormed during a dispute between the two nations over Riyadh’s execution of a Shi’ite Muslim cleric, Saudi Arabia severed relations with Iran in 2016.
A senior Iranian security official said Friday’s agreement had been endorsed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
“That is why Shamkhani travelled to China as the supreme leader’s representative,” the official told Reuters. “The establishment wanted to show that the top authority in Iran backed this decision.”
