What's new

Iran and Saudi Arabia agree to restore relations

MenInG

MenInG

PakPassion Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 2, 2004
Runs
217,565
This is great news for the Muslim world and for the stability of the region in general.

==

Iran and Saudi Arabia have agreed to re-establish ties and reopen embassies within two months, according to Iranian and Saudi state media.

The agreement came after talks held in the Chinese capital, Beijing.

“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 on Friday.

Nour News, which is linked to Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, posted images and video it described as being taken in China with the meeting. It showed Ali Shamkhani, the council’s secretary, with a Saudi official and a Chinese official that state TV named as Wang Yi.

“After implementing of the decision, the foreign ministers of both nations will meet to prepare for exchange of ambassadors,” Iranian state television said.

The Saudi Press Agency confirmed the agreement when it also published the joint statement from Saudi Arabia and Iran, which said that the two countries had agreed to respect state sovereignty and not interfere in each other’s internal affairs.

The statement also said that Riyadh and Tehran had agreed to activate a security cooperation agreement signed in 2001.

Tensions have long been high between the regional rivals.

Saudi Arabia broke off ties with Iran in 2016 after protesters invaded Saudi diplomatic posts there.

Saudi Arabia had executed a prominent Shia Muslim scholar days earlier, triggering the demonstrations.

But there have been more recent efforts on both sides to warm ties.

“In the last couple of years, there had been meetings between Saudi and Iranian officials in Baghdad,” said Al Jazeera’s Ali Hashem. “The Iraqis started mediation talks back in 2021. Everything stopped during the Iraqi elections of 2021,” he said.

“There was no news comings out after five rounds of talks. Security-level meetings took place in Oman, too. Those were mainly concentrated on the situation in Yemen.”

Iran and Saudi Arabia are on rival sides of a number of regional issues, in countries as varied as Lebanon, Syria and Yemen.

Improved relations between Tehran and Riyadh could therefore have an effect on politics across the Middle East.

“The security situation in the region, like in Yemen and Lebanon, deteriorates and suffers when these two countries have differences,” said Hashem. “With this deal, it is possible that we might start to see compromises in these countries. This deal can lead to the creation of a better security situation in the region. They have a lot of leverage in these countries.”

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/3/10/iran-and-saudi-agree-to-restore-relations
 
wow great news.

UAE made ties with Israel in fear of the Iranians.

Saudi has done the complete opposite here. I wonder if this is opening a schism between MBS and MBZ
 
Would be interesting to know the background and what compromises were made for this to happen.
 
gazza619 said:
Would be interesting to know the background and what compromises were made for this to happen.
Click to expand...

Whatever it is, this is great news for the region and also will have positive side effects for Pakistan as well
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">We welcome the signing of historic Agreement between KSA &#55356;&#56824;&#55356;&#56806; & Iran &#55356;&#56814;&#55356;&#56823; for resumption of diplomatic relations. This China-mediated deal augurs well for peace, stability & economic development in ME & Muslim world. It shows that with collective wisdom, win-win outcomes are possible</p>— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) <a href="https://twitter.com/CMShehbaz/status/1634495916668342273?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
Good news. And China doing a job to try to resolve longstanding issues between Iran and SaudiA.
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">We welcome this development. My govt had taken an initiative to bring KSA & Iran together for dialogue as part of our policy of wider engagement for peace & for unity of the Ummah. We appreciate China's role in this diplomatic breakthrough.<a href="https://t.co/XSd3polNzJ">https://t.co/XSd3polNzJ</a></p>— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI/status/1634900414771634177?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 12, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
Pakistan needs to wake and smell the coffee and start trading with India and normalise relations with its neighbor. Pakistan needs to first woo India by promising not to export terror. If relations are normalised, Pakistan would benefit greatly economically and inflation would drop, ending misery for 220 million Pakistanis.
 
saeedhk said:
Pakistan needs to wake and smell the coffee and start trading with India and normalise relations with its neighbor. Pakistan needs to first woo India by promising not to export terror. If relations are normalised, Pakistan would benefit greatly economically and inflation would drop, ending misery for 220 million Pakistanis.
Click to expand...

You could argue India also needs to wake up and smell the coffee considering the region it inhabits. China, Iran, Pakistan, Arabia....they are all relatively close from a neighbourly point of view right? Oh yeah Bangladesh as well which is separated by a fence from it's other half in India.
 
Cpt. Rishwat said:
You could argue India also needs to wake up and smell the coffee considering the region it inhabits. China, Iran, Pakistan, Arabia....they are all relatively close from a neighbourly point of view right? Oh yeah Bangladesh as well which is separated by a fence from it's other half in India.
Click to expand...

Pakistan needs India more than India needs Pakistan's trade. India is already doing pretty well without Pakistan.
 
Champ_Pal said:
Pakistan needs India more than India needs Pakistan's trade. India is already doing pretty well without Pakistan.
Click to expand...

I was talking about the region as a whole, not just Pakistan or India. Please see other countries mentioned in that post you quoted.
 
Great news.

Saudis shouldn't blindly follow the US/Israel and do what benefits them.

I hope now this can put an end to what they've been doing to Yemen, who are undoubtedly going through the worst humanitarian crisis in the world. Yes even worse than Ukraine.

Instead of buying more weapons from the West, they should use these funds to help rebuild Yemen and stop the millions of Yemeni dying from starvation.
 
DeadlyVenom said:
wow great news.

UAE made ties with Israel in fear of the Iranians.

Saudi has done the complete opposite here. I wonder if this is opening a schism between MBS and MBZ
Click to expand...

UAE made their friendship official with Israel for other reasons. They were on speaking terms for many years an just made the recognition public, but Iran wasnt one of the reasons

If anything UAE and Iran have always had under table contact and some sort of understanding

Qatar and Oman also had official warm relations with Iran

It was Saudi which really disliked Iran which thankfully will disappear
 
The Foreign Office on Friday claimed ******tan had played a role in facilitating the dialogue between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

“It is obvious that this [Saudi-Iran] agreement is a result of the mediation efforts of China and the constructive talks that took it facilitated and the two sides were able to resolve their differences,” Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch told a weekly press briefing.

“We welcome this development. Pakistan like several other countries and friends of both Iran and Saudi Arabia played their part in facilitating the dialogue,” she added.

In this context, the spokesperson recalled that the first meeting of the two foreign ministers took place in Islamabad on the sidelines of an OIC meeting.

“But we do not wish to take away credit from China in this latest agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia on normalisation of relations and congratulate them for their successful diplomatic efforts,” she said.

Says first meeting of two foreign ministers took place on the sidelines of OIC session in Islamabad

Ms Baloch said Pakistan commends China’s visionary leadership in coordinating this historic agreement.

“We believe that this diplomatic breakthrough will contribute to peace and stability in the region and beyond. We hope this normalisation would define a template for regional cooperation and harmony,” she remarked.

In reply to a question about a negative tweet by a PTI leader about Pakistan-China ties, she said that Islamabad’s relationship with Beijing is decades old.

“It is a relationship that has continued to grow in strength over the last several decades. We have been friends through good times and tough times, despite changing situation around us, international developments, and any domestic developments in Pakistan or in China. Both sides are committed to this relationship. One statement by some individual cannot in any way damage this relationship, because it is based on mutual trust, on mutual confidence and the support of the peoples of Pakistan and China, who have for generations supported Pakistan-China friendship,” she said.

Answering a question, the spokesperson said Pakistan has continued to call for peace in the region and security for all its friends, including Saudi Arabia.

“We hope that with this agreement and the normalisation of relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, there will be progress on outstanding issues including any differences that they have on Yemen. We hope this would have peace dividends for the region including in Yemen,” she remarked.

DAWN
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">In a letter to President Raisi, H.E Salman bin Abdulaziz the King of Saudi Arabia welcomed the deal btw the 2 brotherly countries, invited him to Riyadh &called for strong economic/regional cooperation. Raisi welcomed the invitation&stressed Iran's readiness to expand cooperation</p>— Mohammad Jamshidi (@MhmmdJamshidi) <a href="https://twitter.com/MhmmdJamshidi/status/1637450956118818816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 19, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
Very good. Hope the relations get better . It’s a win win situation for them and the region.
 
The situation is tailor made for Pakistan to benefit from, but unfortunately our government is going to squander this opportunity as well. As Iran mends ties with Saudi, tourism, energy, trade, technology etc will strengthen but Pak won’t get anything out of it even though we are neighbours. Such a shame, our foreign office is being run by a drag queen.
 
Let's see how long this lasts without any divisions. I would want to give at least 10 years before having hopes for a genuine Ummah situation. Until then Pakistanis need to prioritize for Pakistan first instead of being political/social/economic fodder for some other "Ummah brother".
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">&#55357;&#56586;: PR NO. 6️⃣2️⃣/2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣3️⃣<br><br>Foreign Minister’s Telephone Call with Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia<br><br>&#55357;&#56599;⬇️<a href="https://t.co/oPVmBOG7b3">https://t.co/oPVmBOG7b3</a> <a href="https://t.co/pJD9HhHPze">pic.twitter.com/pJD9HhHPze</a></p>— Spokesperson &#55356;&#56821;&#55356;&#56816; MoFA (@ForeignOfficePk) <a href="https://twitter.com/ForeignOfficePk/status/1638199914285940739?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
Saudi, Iran foreign ministers in Ramadan call, agree to meet soon
Saudi Arabia’s Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud held a call with Iran’s Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.

The Saudi Arabian and Iranian foreign ministers spoke by phone to mark the beginning of Ramadan and have agreed to meet “soon” to start the process of re-opening embassies and consulates, according to Saudi Arabia’s foreign affairs ministry.

The Saudi foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, had a call with his counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and the pair “exchanged greetings and congratulations on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan”, which begins on Thursday in both countries, the ministry said.

“The two ministers agreed to hold a bilateral meeting soon, to pave the way for the reopening of embassies and consulates between the two countries,” the Saudi Arabian foreign ministry said in a statement on Twitter.

...
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023...-ministers-in-ramadan-call-agree-to-meet-soon
 
Saudi Arabia is trying to become pretty moderate under MBS. He is making decisions on logic rather than past history and religion. MBS seems to be the best thing to have happened to SA.
 
Iran appoints first UAE ambassador since 2016 as Gulf relations improve

Iran said on Tuesday it had appointed an ambassador to the United Arab Emirates for the first time since 2016, amid a realignment of relations between Gulf states and Iran.

The move comes after the UAE in August moved to upgrade ties and said it was returning its ambassador to Tehran.

The UAE downgraded relations with Iran after Saudi Arabia severed ties with Iran in January 2016 after Iranian protesters stormed the Saudi embassy in Tehran following Riyadh’s execution of a prominent Shiite cleric.

In a step change to years of hostility between Iran and Saudi Arabia that had threatened stability and security in the Gulf and helped fuel conflicts in the Middle East from Yemen to Syria, Riyadh last month said it would re-establish relations with Tehran in a China-brokered deal.

The UAE, which has business and trade ties with Iran stretching back more than a century, started re-engaging with Tehran in 2019 after attacks in Gulf waters and on Saudi energy sites.

The UAE’s Dubai emirate has long been one of Iran’s main links to the outside world.

...
https://www.dawn.com/news/1746021/i...bassador-since-2016-as-gulf-relations-improve
 
Rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia hold high-level talks

The foreign ministers of Iran and Saudi Arabia - two bitter historical rivals in the Middle East - have held talks for the first time since 2016.

Saudi's al-Ekhbariya TV aired a brief video showing Prince Faisal bin Farhan al Saud and Hossein Amir-Abdollahian greeting each other in China.

Last month, the two nations agreed to restore diplomatic relations during lower-level talks also in China.

Saudi Arabia cut ties in 2016 after crowds stormed its embassy in Tehran .

This followed Riyadh's execution of a prominent Shia Muslim cleric.

Tensions between the Sunni-majority Saudi Arabia and Shia-led Iran have since often been high.

They regard each other as a threatening power that seeks regional dominance. They also support rival sides across the Middle East, including in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq - and most overtly in Yemen.

Iran has backed Shia Houthi rebels who forced out the Saudi-backed government in 2014, while Saudi Arabia has led a devastating air campaign against the Houthis since the following year.

Saudi Arabia has also accused Iran of helping the Houthis attack it.

In the most serious incident of its kind, drones and missiles struck major Saudi oil facilities in 2019, causing damage and disruption to production. Saudi Arabia and its US ally blamed Iran for the attack - something Iran denied.

Previous attempts at reconciliation had been unsuccessful, but last month the two countries said they would reopen embassies within two months. They also said trade and security relations would be re-established.

The US cautiously welcomed that announcement, while UN Secretary General António Guterres thanked China for brokering the deal.

BBC
 
After decades of trying to destroy Iran, it looks like the Saudis have finally (and reluctantly) admitted defeat and have come to the negotiating table.

All the bluster and bravado about "cutting the snake's head" has gone.

Nobody has mentioned the role of Iraq, but they played a key role in mediating several rounds of talks.

Now both countries need to learn to coexist instead of continuing to polarise the region. They can start by ending the bloodbath in Yemen.
 
Champ_Pal said:
Saudi Arabia is trying to become pretty moderate under MBS. He is making decisions on logic rather than past history and religion. MBS seems to be the best thing to have happened to SA.
Click to expand...

MBS is just another cruel Arab tyrant wearing the sheep's clothing of a woke, modernising reformer.

He can invest in all the sports teams and Western entertainment franchises he wants - but the blood of thousands of innocent Yemeni civilians and Jamal Khashoggi will never wash from his hands whatever the merits of his economic agenda.

I read a particularly sycophantic piece recently by the Pakistani journalist Mosharraf Zaidi (a supposed liberal) who gushed over this "ambitious young millennial" - it appalls me when people who should know better are regurgitating Saudi PR.

Instead of hobnobbing with the global business elite, MBS should be sitting in the Hague on war crimes charges.
 
Markhor said:
After decades of trying to destroy Iran, it looks like the Saudis have finally (and reluctantly) admitted defeat and have come to the negotiating table.

All the bluster and bravado about "cutting the snake's head" has gone.

Nobody has mentioned the role of Iraq, but they played a key role in mediating several rounds of talks.

Now both countries need to learn to coexist instead of continuing to polarise the region. They can start by ending the bloodbath in Yemen.
Click to expand...

Apparently happening

==

RIYADH/ADEN, April 7 (Reuters) - Saudi and Omani envoys are planning to visit Yemen's capital Sanaa next week to negotiate a permanent ceasefire deal with Iran-aligned Houthi officials and end an eight-year-old conflict there, two people involved in the talks said.

The move signals that regional rifts are easing after rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed to restore relations last month following years of hostility and backing opposite sides in Middle Eastern conflicts, including Yemen.

A visit by Saudi officials to Sanaa is an indication of progress in Oman-mediated talks between the kingdom and the Iran-aligned Houthi movement, which run in parallel to United Nations peace efforts.

Oman, which shares borders with Yemen, has been trying for years to bridge differences between Yemen's warring parties, and more broadly between Iran and Saudi Arabia and the United States. A permanent ceasefire in Yemen would mark a milestone in stabilising the Middle East.

If an agreement is reached, the parties could announce it before Islam's Eid holiday starting April 20, the sources said.

The Saudi and Yemeni governments did not immediately respond to requests for a comment.

The Houthis, who ousted the internationally recognised government from Sanaa in late 2014, de facto control north Yemen and say they are rising up against a corrupt system and foreign aggression.

They have been fighting against a Saudi-led military alliance since 2015 in a conflict that has killed tens of thousands and left 80% of Yemen's population dependent on humanitarian aid.

FERTILISERS AND BATTERIES

The discussions are focused on a full reopening of Yemen's ports and airports, payment of wages for public servants, a rebuilding process and a political transition, the sources said.

Saudi Arabia restarted its direct talks with the Houthi group last summer after both sides failed to renew a United Nations-brokered truce deal.

The U.N. hopes to resume a peaceful political process which would lead to a transitional unity government, if a ceasefire agreement is reached.

U.N. Special Envoy Hans Grundberg met with senior Omani and Houthi officials in Muscat this week and discussed ways to make progress towards an inclusive Yemeni-led political process, his office said.

Following years of a bitter rivalry and armed conflicts between Saudi Arabia and Iran, their biggest trade partner China recently stepped in to work with both sides and improve relations.

Beijing, concerned with stability in a region that covers most of its crude oil needs, recently brokered a deal between Riyadh and Tehran to restore diplomatic relations.

In an additional sign of progress in Yemen's peace efforts, the Saudi-led coalition lifted eight-year-old restrictions on imports headed for Yemen's southern ports, allowing commercial ships to dock directly there, including Aden, the Saudi-backed government said.

This follows the easing of restrictions in February on commercial goods entering the Houthi-held western port of Hodeidah, the country's main seaport.

Abu Bakr Abeed, deputy head of Yemen's Chambers of Commerce, told Reuters ships would not have to stop at the Saudi Red Sea port of Jeddah for security checks for the first time since the Saudi-led coalition intervened in Yemen in 2015.

Abeed said more than 500 types of goods would be allowed back in Yemen through southern ports, including fertilisers and batteries, after they were removed from a list of banned products.

The Saudi-led coalition had since 2015 imposed severe restrictions on flow of goods into import-reliant Yemen, where war has devastated the economy, contributing to what the United Nations has called the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
 
Peace dividends

==

Saudi and Omani delegations arrived in Yemen's capital Sanaa, Houthi-run media said on Sunday, to negotiate a permanent ceasefire deal with Houthi officials and end Riyadh's military involvement in the country's longrunning war.

The visit indicates progress in the Oman-mediated consultations between Riyadh and Sanaa, which run in parallel to U.N. peace efforts. Peace efforts have also gained momentum after arch-rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed to reestablish ties in a deal brokered by China.

The envoys, who landed late on Saturday, will meet with the head of Houthi Supreme Political Council, Mahdi al-Mashat, to hold talks on ending hostilities and lifting a Saudi-led "blockade" on Yemeni ports, Houthi news

Sources have told Reuters that the Saudi-Houthi talks are focused on a full reopening of Houthi-controlled ports and Sanaa airport, payment of wages for public servants, rebuilding efforts and a timeline for foreign forces to exit the country.

Advertisement · Scroll to continue
Yemen's war is seen as one of several proxy battles between Iran and Saudi Arabia. The Houthis, aligned with Iran, ousted a Saudi-backed government from Sanaa in late 2014, and have de facto control of north Yemen, saying they are rising up against a corrupt system and foreign aggression.

They have been fighting against a Saudi-led military alliance since 2015 in a conflict that has killed tens of thousands and left 80% of Yemen's population dependent on humanitarian aid.

A Houthi official said on Saturday the group had received 13 detainees released by Saudi Arabia in exchange for a Saudi detainee freed earlier, ahead of a wider prisoner exchange agreed by the warring sides.

At talks in Switzerland last month attended by the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Yemeni government and the Houthis agreed to free 887 detainees. The 13 prisoners are part of that agreement, Houthi official Abdul Qader al-Mortada said.

The Saudi government media office did not respond to a Reuters requests for comment on the prisoner exchange and the delegation visiting Sanaa
 
This peace will not last long. China cannot be trusted. They are doing all this to woo other nations to gang up against US and Europe.
The real issue between both saudia and Iran is theological. China can’t fix that. This is only a temporary measure.
 
Could this ever have happened before?

==

A Saudi and an Iranian have emerged as the big winners in the Otr Elkalam (Scent of Speech) contest, an international Quran recitation and azan (call to prayer) competition, Arab News reported.

Saudi Arabia's Mohammed Al-Sharif won SR2 million ($533,000) for finishing first in the azan category, while Iran's Younis Shahmradi topped the Quran recitation category, receiving SR3 million ($800,000).

Shahmradi, who is in his early twenties, attributed his recitation of the Holy Quran to the influence of renowned Arab reciters such as Mohammed Rifaat and Mustafa Ismail. According to Arab News, the jury praised Shahmradi's recitation as "genius", stating that he possessed a "masterful, balanced voice."
 
An Iranian delegation arrived in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday to pave the way for reopening diplomatic missions as the Gulf rivals prepare to normalise relations, seven years after an acrimonious split.

The announcement came just days after a Saudi delegation made a similar visit to Tehran hot on the heels of a historic meeting in China between the two governments’ foreign ministers who vowed to bring stability to the turbulent region.

“The Iranian delegation arrived in Riyadh on Wednesday to visit and reopen the Iranian embassy and consulate in accordance with the recent agreement between the two countries,” Iran’s official IRNA news agency reported.

“One team is due to to travel to Jeddah to prepare for the reopening of Iran’s consulate there and its representation in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, while the other will remain in Riyadh to reopen the embassy,” IRNA added.
 
Yemen’s Houthis, Saudi Arabia exchange hundreds of war prisoners
Nearly 900 detainees are expected to be released according to an agreement reached between warring parties in Yemen.

The release and swap of nearly 900 detainees by the two sides in Yemen’s conflict has begun, a significant confidence-building measure as peace talks between Saudi envoys and Houthi rebels intensify.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which is managing the prisoner exchange, said on Friday its planes would be used to carry the released detainees between six cities in Yemen and Saudi Arabia.

“With this act of goodwill, hundreds of families torn apart by conflict are being reunited … Our deep desire is that these releases provide momentum for a broader political solution,” said Fabrizio Carboni, the ICRC’s regional director for the Near and Middle East.

Warring parties agreed at negotiations in Switzerland last month to free 887 detainees and to meet again in May to discuss further releases. The deal was overseen by the United Nations envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, and the ICRC.

Negotiators had hoped for an “all for all” deal involving all remaining detainees during the 10 days of talks.

The negotiations were the latest in a series of meetings that led to the release of prisoners in 2022 and 2020 under a UN-mediated deal known as the Stockholm Agreement.

Full prisoner exchange
Speaking from Yemen’s capital Sanaa, Houthi affairs analyst Hussain al-Bukhaiti told Al Jazeera he expected a flurry of prisoner swaps in the coming months.

“The visit of the Saudi ambassador to Sanaa has moved this [issue of] prisoner exchanges,” said al-Bukhaiti, in reference to Saudi ambassador Mohamed al-Jaber’s trip with a delegation from Oman on Monday in an attempt to reach a comprehensive political solution in Yemen.

“Sanaa has sent a clear message to Saudi Arabia that it is ready for a full prisoner exchange on both sides, which could be about 15,000 prisoners. If this prisoner exchange [Friday’s] goes as planned, I believe after Ramadan another deal will be struck to release all prisoners,” al-Bukhaiti said.

Political analyst Moneef Ammash Alharbi told Al Jazeera the POW exchange was taking place between Saudi Arabia and the “legitimate Yemeni government” – which Riyadh supports – rather than with the Houthis.

Al-jazeera
 
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said in a press conference in the Lebanese capital Beirut on Friday that embassies in Saudi Arabia and Iran will be opened “within days”.

Amirabdollahian did not give specific dates for the reopening of the embassies in the two countries, which agreed to restore relations in March.

High-ranking security officials from both countries had met last month in Beijing under Chinese auspices and, to the utter shock of most followers of global politics, announced that they were re-establishing diplomatic relations that had been severed after a series of events in 2016.

The deal was announced after four days of previously undisclosed talks in Beijing between top security officials from the two rival Middle East powers.

It was sealed when the foreign ministers of both states met again in Beijing, earlier this month.

Subsequently, delegations from the two countries visited the embassies in Riyadh and Tehran and consulates in Jeddah and Mashhad to launch the process of their reopening.

The leaders of the two countries have also extended invitations to each other to visit.

Riyadh broke off relations with Tehran in 2016 after Iranian protesters attacked Saudi diplomatic missions following the execution of Saudi Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr — one in a series of flashpoints between the long-time foes.

Dawn
 
Wonder if this being done to drive a wedge into the peace process?

==
The US confiscated Iranian oil on a tanker at sea in recent days in a sanctions enforcement operation, three sources said, and days later Iran seized another oil-laden tanker in retaliation, according to a maritime security firm.

As oil markets remain jittery, the cargo seizure is the latest escalation between Washington and Tehran after years of sanctions pressure by the US over Iran’s nuclear program.

Iran does not recognise the sanctions, and its oil exports have been rising.

Tehran says its nuclear program is for civilian purposes while Washington suspects Iran wants to develop a nuclear bomb.
 
Iran MPs remove minister over rising prices
Reza Fatemi Amin failed to garner enough support in a vote of confidence

TEHRAN: Iran’s parliament voted in an impeachment session on Sunday to remove the industry minister amid soaring prices as the Islamic republic’s economy reels under the pressure of international sanctions.

Reza Fatemi Amin failed to garner enough support in a vote of confidence that saw 162 MPs vote in favour of his removal and 102 against.

It was the second time he had faced such a vote in parliament over the same issues, after securing 182 votes in a November majority vote that meant he stayed in the post.

A major factor in the new impeachment was the rising price of domestically manufactured vehicles after foreign imports dried up because of sanctions on Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

Last year the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say in major policies, criticised the high prices and low quality of home-made products including cars.

Sunday’s vote came with the economy battered by Western sanctions, rampant inflation and record depreciation of the rial against the dollar since 2018 when then-president Donald Trump withdrew the US from a landmark nuclear deal with Tehran and reimposed biting sanctions.

Defending the minister ahead of the vote, President Ebrahim Raisi had urged “stability in the management of this ministry”.

And Fatemi Amin himself argued: “The automobile industry is based on assembly and domestication, so it has problems with the ups and downs of sanctions.”

But MP Lotfollah Siahkali accused the minister of reporting wrong numbers to the president about growth in the sector.

“If there is growth, why don’t we see it in people’s lives?” he asked, adding that the ministry should leave the auto industry to the private sector. A simple majority in parliament is all that is required for such a vote to go through.

Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf announced the results of the vote during a session broadcast live on state television.

The News PK
 
Arab League re-admits Syria after 11-year absence
Government delegations from the Syrian Arab Republic will resume their participation in Arab League meetings

The Arab League on Sunday welcomed back Syria’s government, ending a more than decade-long suspension and securing President Bashar al-Assad’s return to the Arab fold after years of isolation.

In November 2011, the body suspended Damascus over its crackdown on peaceful protests, which began earlier that year and which spiraled into a conflict that killed more than 500,000 people, displaced millions and battered the country’s infrastructure and industry.

While the front lines have mostly quietened, large parts of the country’s north remain outside government control, and no political solution has yet been reached to the 12-year-old conflict.

“Government delegations from the Syrian Arab Republic will resume their participation in Arab League meetings” starting Sunday, said a unanimous decision by the group’s foreign ministers.

Assad has been politically isolated since the war began, but recent weeks have seen a flurry of diplomatic activity ahead of an Arab League summit in Saudi Arabia on May 19.

The ministers, in a statement, emphasised their “keenness to launch a leading Arab role in efforts to resolve” the Syria crisis.

They agreed to form a ministerial committee to continue “direct dialogue with the Syrian government in order to reach a comprehensive solution”.

...
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1068176-arab-league-re-admits-syria-after-11-year-absence
 
TEHRAN: Iran has appointed Alireza Enayati as its ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Iran’s Mizan news agency reported on Monday, following a China-brokered deal in April between Tehran and Riyadh that ended years of political rift between the two countries.

Alireza Enayati served as an assistant to the foreign minister and director-general of Arabian Gulf affairs at the ministry, according to Iran’s judiciary’s news agency Mizan.
 
MenInG said:
TEHRAN: Iran has appointed Alireza Enayati as its ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Iran’s Mizan news agency reported on Monday, following a China-brokered deal in April between Tehran and Riyadh that ended years of political rift between the two countries.

Alireza Enayati served as an assistant to the foreign minister and director-general of Arabian Gulf affairs at the ministry, according to Iran’s judiciary’s news agency Mizan.
Click to expand...
Hope they normalize relations. Everything to gain by it.
 
Saudi Arabia severed relations with Iran in 2016 after its embassy in Tehran and consulate in the northwestern city of Mashhad were attacked during protests over Riyadh's execution of Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr.

Iran's diplomatic mission, which was expelled by Saudi authorities, will return under the leadership of Alireza Enayati, who previously served as Iran's ambassador to Kuwait.

Tehran's foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani announced the reopening in a statement Monday, confirming earlier comments by a diplomatic source in Riyadh.

Iran's embassy in Riyadh, its consulate in Jeddah and its representative office to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) "will be officially reopened on Tuesday and Wednesday", Kanani said.

The diplomatic source had earlier told AFP that the opening "will take place Tuesday at 6:00 pm local time (1500 GMT) with the presence of the newly appointed Iranian ambassador" to Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia has yet to confirm when it will reopen its embassy in Tehran or its pick for ambassador.

Iranian media had named Enayati as the Islamic republic's Saudi envoy last month.

He had previously served as assistant to the foreign minister and director general of Gulf affairs at the foreign ministry, according to Iranian reports.

After years of discord, the two Middle East heavyweights signed a surprise reconciliation agreement in China on March 10.

Since then, Saudi Arabia has restored ties with Tehran ally Syria and ramped up a push for peace in Yemen, where it has for years led a military coalition against the Iran-backed Huthi rebels.

Iran and Saudi Arabia had backed opposing sides in conflict zones across the Middle East for years before mending fences.

AFP
 
‘Historic move’: Saudi football clubs to play in Iran as travel ban lifted

Saudi Pro League clubs will play their Champions League games in Iran after both countries agreed to resume home-and-away matches, the Asian Football Confederation said.

Saudi Arabia and Iran have reached a “groundbreaking” deal to resume home-and-away football matches between club sides after seven years of competing in neutral venues, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has said.

The move by the two countries’ football federations would contribute to “fostering closer ties between their respective footballing communities, allowing clubs to host matches on their home turf and visiting the respective away stadiums, creating a more engaging and exciting experience for the fans and players alike”, the AFC said in a statement on Monday.


AlJazeera
 
Saudi and Iran exchange ambassadors after rapprochement

Ambassadors of both countries arrived in Riyadh and Tehran after an agreement led to the restoration of full diplomatic ties.

Saudi Arabia’s leadership recognises the “importance of strengthening ties, increasing engagement … and taking the [relationship] to broader horizons”, Ambassador Abdullah Alanazi said upon his arrival in Tehran on Tuesday to take up his duties, according to a Saudi Foreign Ministry statement.

Also on Tuesday, Iran’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Alireza Enayati, arrived in the Saudi capital Riyadh where he was received by foreign ministry officials and embassy staff, according to Iran’s official IRNA news agency.

Alanazi was formerly Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Oman, while Enyati was previously Iran’s Kuwait envoy.


AlJazeera
 
US detainees to fly out of Iran in swap deal after $6 billion unfrozen
Five US detainees exchanged for five Iranians in Qatar-brokered deal after $6 billion in Iranian funds unfrozen

DOHA: Five US detainees were being taken to a Qatari aircraft to fly out of Iran on Monday in a swap for five Iranians detained in the US thanks to a Doha-brokered deal between the arch foes that also unfroze $6 billion of Tehran's funds.

The Qatari plane was on standby after the US and Iran were told, according to a source briefed on the matter, that the funds had been transferred to accounts in Qatar. "US detainees are being transported to the Qatari jet," the source said.

The funds' release triggered an exchange sequence agreed after months of talks between the United States and Iran, who are at odds over Tehran's nuclear ambitions and other issues.

The five Americans with dual nationality are due to fly to Doha and then on to the US Two relatives are also expected to be on the flight. "They are in good health," an Iranian official briefed on the process said about the detainees.

In return, five Iranians detained in the US will be released. The Iranian Foreign ministry spokesperson said two Iranians would return to Iran while two would stay in the US at their request. One detainee would join his family in a third country, he added.

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said the funds, blocked in South Korea after US sanctions on Iran were hardened in 2018, would be available to Tehran on Monday. Under the deal, Qatar will ensure it is spent on humanitarian goods.

There was no immediate public US comment.

The deal will remove a major irritant between the US, which brands Tehran a state sponsor of terrorism, and Iran, which calls Washington the "Great Satan".

But they remain deeply divided on other issues ranging from Iran's nuclear programme and its influence around the region to US sanctions and America's military presence in the Gulf.

Qatar, a tiny but hugely wealthy Gulf Arab energy producer, has sought to raise its global profile, hosting the soccer World Cup last year and carving out a role in international diplomacy. The Sunni nation hosts a big US military base but has also forged close ties with Shia Iran.

Doha hosted at least eight rounds of talks with Iranian and US negotiators sitting in separate hotels, speaking via shuttle diplomacy, a source previously told Reuters.

QATAR'S MONITORING ROLE

Under the agreement, Doha agreed to monitor how Iran spends the unfrozen funds to ensure the cash is spent on humanitarian goods, such as food and medicine, and not any items under US sanctions.

The transfer of Iran's funds has drawn criticism from US Republicans who say President Joe Biden, a Democrat, is in effect paying a ransom for US citizens.

The White House has defended the deal.

The US dual citizens to be released include Siamak Namazi, 51, and Emad Sharqi, 59, both businessmen, and Morad Tahbaz, 67, an environmentalist who also holds British nationality. They were released from prison and put under house arrest last month.

A fourth US citizen was also released into house arrest, while a fifth was already under house arrest. Their identities have not been disclosed.

Iranian officials have named the five Iranians to be released by the US as Mehrdad Moin-Ansari, Kambiz Attar-Kashani, Reza Sarhangpour-Kafrani, Amin Hassanzadeh and Kaveh Afrasiabi. Two Iranian officials previously said that Afrasiabi would remain in the United States but had not mentioned others.

Ties between Washington and Tehran have been boiling since Donald Trump, a Republican, pulled the US out of a nuclear deal between Iran and global powers when he was president in 2018. Reaching another nuclear deal has gained little traction since, as Biden prepares for the 2024 US election.

As a first step in the deal, Washington waived sanctions to allow the transfer of $6 billion in Iranian funds from South Korea to Qatar. The funds were blocked in South Korea, normally one of Iran's largest oil customers, when Washington imposed sweeping financial sanctions on Tehran and the cash could not be transferred.


tribune.com.pk

US detainees to fly out of Iran in swap deal after $6b unfrozen | The Express Tribune

Five US detainees exchanged for five Iranians in Qatar-brokered deal after $6 billion in Iranian funds unfrozen
tribune.com.pk tribune.com.pk
 
Equation is pretty much simple that Pakistan wants to keep using the Strait of Hormuz for its trade and energy needs because it's a vital route so they need balanced relations with both coutries.

If Iran and Saudi Arabia get along better relations, it can help make this route safer and more stable.
 
Pakistan needs to find a way to import cheaper Iranian oil which is a lot cheaper compared to our current sources (namely the Gulf). India is doing it, so why can't Pakistan
 
Saudi Arabia, Iran commit to implementing Beijing Agreement

JEDDAH: The first meeting of the Saudi-Chinese-Iranian Tripartite Joint Committee concluded in Beijing on Friday with the Saudi and Iranian delegations pledging their commitment to implementing the Beijing Agreement.

Wang Yi — a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee, director of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee Foreign Affairs Commission Office, and minister of foreign affairs — chaired a group meeting with the heads of the Saudi and Iranian delegations, the deputy ministers of foreign affairs Waleed bin Abdulkarim Al-Khuraiji and Ali Bagheri Kani, respectively.

The talks revolved around the improved relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran following the Beijing agreement reached between both countries under Chinese auspices in March, the reopening of the embassies of both countries in Riyadh and Tehran, and the meetings and mutual visits of both nations’ foreign ministers.

The Saudi and Iranian delegations praised China for its important role in hosting the meeting and pledged their commitment to implementing the terms of the Beijing Agreement.

The three parties discussed aspects of tripartite cooperation in various fields, while raising concerns over the ongoing situation in Gaza — which they said posed a threat to regional and global peace and security — and calling for an immediate cessation of military operations in the Strip.

They also expressed the need for a sustainable system of civilian aid and slammed the forced displacement of Palestinians. Any decision regarding Palestine’s future must reflect the will of the Palestinian people, the trio added, and uphold the right for them to establish their own state and determine their own destiny.

It was agreed that the next meeting of the tripartite would be held in Saudi Arabia in June.

Saudi Arabia and Iran both thanked China for hosting the meeting and for its role in mediating between Riyadh and Tehran.

The three sides also expressed concern over the situation in Gaza and said that any solution to the conflict must adhere to the will of the Palestinian people.

www.arabnews.com

Saudi Arabia, Iran commit to implementing Beijing Agreement

JEDDAH: The first meeting of the Saudi-Chinese-Iranian Tripartite Joint Committee concluded in Beijing on Friday with the Saudi and Iranian delegations pledging their commitment to implementing the Beijing Agreement. Wang Yi — a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee, director...
www.arabnews.com www.arabnews.com
 
Riyadh reluctant to derail Iran detente over U.S. Red Sea taskforce

Saudi Arabia's name was conspicuously - perhaps surprisingly - absent from a list of countries the United States announced as part of its new naval coalition protecting Red Sea shipping from Yemen's Houthi group.

Although it has a U.S.-equipped military, has been waging war on the Houthis for nearly nine years and relies on Red Sea ports for 36% of imports, Saudi Arabia along with Gulf ally

[1/2]Houthi military helicopter flies over the Galaxy Leader cargo ship in the Red Sea.

- Saudi Arabia's name was conspicuously - perhaps surprisingly - absent from a list of countries the United States announced as part of its new naval coalition protecting Red Sea shipping from Yemen's Houthi group.

Although it has a U.S.-equipped military, has been waging war on the Houthis for nearly nine years and relies on Red Sea ports for 36% of imports, Saudi Arabia along with Gulf ally the United Arab Emirates has proclaimed no interest in the venture.

The main reason for its absence appears to be a concern that participating would detract from a long-term strategic goal: extricating itself from a messy war in Yemen and a destructive feud with the Houthis' principal backer Iran.

The Houthis, who control much of Yemen, have been striking at ships in the Red Sea for weeks in response to Israel's war with the Palestinian Hamas group in Gaza.

Whether their attacks are having much direct impact on Israel - shipping companies say several targeted vessels were not headed there - their campaign has hit Israel's Western allies by complicating global trade. On Wednesday their leader threatened to expand this campaign to U.S. naval vessels.

U.S. officials have avoided saying outright that the two countries will not take part, and spokespeople for both the Saudi and Emirati governments did not respond to Reuters requests for comment on the matter.

But whether they are completely uninvolved or have some background role, both countries want to avoid being seen as participants in a campaign that could upset their long-term regional strategy - and turn Arab anger over Gaza against them.

Two sources in the Gulf familiar with the matter said the Saudi and Emirati absence was because they wanted to avoid escalating tensions with Iran or jeopardising the peace push in Yemen by joining any naval action.

"Another war would mean moving from the political process into another military one that would really mess up the geopolitical map of the Middle East right now," said Eyad Alrefai of King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah.

The biggest steps in that process so far were the Chinese-mediated detente agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran in February and the establishment of diplomatic relations between Israel and the UAE in 2020.

But the Saudis also want to end their nearly 9-year-old war in Yemen, which has become a draining stalemate that has damaged their reputations and brought insecurity through Houthi drone attacks on airports and energy plants.

Peace in Yemen is important for the UAE too, even though it largely pulled out its forces in 2020. It still backs groups in Yemen and the Houthis targeted its capital Abu Dhabi with drone and missile attacks last year.

REGIONAL STRATEGY
Saudi Arabia hoped resolving these regional disputes would allow it to focus on an ambitious agenda of building futuristic new cities and taking a bigger seat in global affairs, including by hosting the 2034 World Cup.

Israel's war in Gaza with full-throated U.S. backing after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel threatens to thwart this dream, plunging the region into a new era of uncertainty and roiling Arab anger against the West and its Gulf allies.

The war has chilled Emirati ties with Israel, derailed Saudi-Israeli normalisation talks and made any embrace of U.S. policy an uncomfortable prospect for Arab leaders.

Meanwhile, many Arabs have spoken warmly of Houthi drone attacks aimed at Israel and the group's strikes against Red Sea shipping as a rare example of Arab action in support of Palestinians.

By contrast, Iran stands at the head of what it calls the Axis of Resistance, a loose coalition that includes Hamas as well as armed Shi'ite Muslim groups around the region that have militarily confronted Israel and its Western allies.

Iran denies Saudi and Western claims it gives material backing to the Houthis, part of its Axis of Resistance, or provides them with direction. But it has made plain its view on the Red Sea coalition.

"Any country joining the American coalition to deal with this (Houthi) action is a direct participant in the killing of children by the Zionist regime," Ali Shamkhani, an adviser to Iran's supreme leader, said in a social media post.

Still, Saudi reluctance to torpedo a regional strategy based around detente with Iran and peace with the Houthis will be balanced by its need for security in the Red Sea overall and its continued reliance on a U.S. security umbrella.

The United States "is probably not delighted" that Saudi Arabia and the UAE have not publicly signed up for the taskforce said former U.S. ambassador to Yemen Gerald Feierstein.

But, Feierstein added, the White House "would have to be pretty blind, deaf and dumb not to understand what was going on and be surprised by the response on the Saudi side or the Emirati side".

Despite years of disagreements over elements of Middle East policy, the United States remains Saudi Arabia's most important ally and its main military supplier.

That may raise questions over whether there is a role for Saudi Arabia behind the scenes to work more with the United States on Red Sea security.

Both Saudi Arabia and the UAE were already members of a U.S.-led Combined Maritime Force operating in the Gulf and Red Sea, though the UAE said in May it was leaving that grouping.

Asked directly about the two Gulf states' apparent lack of participation, John Kirby, the White House national security spokesperson, said, "I will let every nation who is a member, whether they want to acknowledge it or not, speak for themselves".

Speaking later, without direct reference to either country, he said: "There are some nations that have agreed to participate and to be a part of this but ... they get to decide how public they want that to be".

Source : Reuters
 
Is carnage in Gaza bringing Iran and Saudi Arabia closer?

The long-term impact of Israel’s Gaza war on the Middle East’s geopolitical order and security architecture will require far more time to fully realize. But one of the more pressing questions it raises is what impact, if any, will it have on the still-young Iranian-Saudi détente?

There are two major narratives about the effects of Israel’s military campaign on Tehran-Riyadh relations. One is that Hamas’s brutal Operation al-Aqsa Flood and the conduct of other Iran-backed actors in the region, such as Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Iraqi Shi’a militias, are heightening Saudi Arabia’s concerns about Tehran’s behavior and ambitions in the Middle East.

The other is that pan-Islamic solidarity now brings the Islamic Republic and the kingdom closer as both governments call for an immediate ceasefire, condemn the unprecedented destruction inflicted by Israel’s military campaign on Gaza’s population and infrastructure, and profess their determination to preserve peace and stability in the Persian Gulf.

Ultimately, there is truth to both narratives, which are not mutually exclusive. Although Iran and Saudi Arabia share some concerns about the Gaza crisis, Riyadh also worries about Tehran’s ability to exploit this conflict in ways that could potentially harm the kingdom and its Arab neighbors.

Aziz Alghashian, a fellow with the Sectarianism, Proxies & De-sectarianisation project at Lancaster University, believes that Israel’s war on Gaza will not necessarily have much impact on Iranian-Saudi relations. But he thinks it will put the kingdom into a “state of mitigation” in the face of Iran’s opportunism. While Saudi Arabia’s leadership views both Iran and Israel as contributing to the region’s turmoil, Alghashian said that Riyadh fully understands the extent to which Tehran will a

On October 11, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and MbS had their first phone conversation since the signing of the renormalization agreement seven months earlier in Beijing. According to Mohammad Jamshidi, the Iranian presidential political affairs aide, the two leaders addressed “the need to end war crimes against Palestine,” Islamic unity, and Washington’s support for Israel’s actions in Gaza.

Furthermore, Raisi’s attendance at the joint Arab League-Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) emergency summit on Gaza, held in Riyadh on November 11, marked the first time an Iranian president has visited the kingdom since Mahmoud Ahmadinejad represented his country at an OIC summit in Medina in August 2012.

“Raisi's visit to Saudi Arabia was crucial for Iran, aligning with its strategic focus on Palestine and the pursuit of regional and Islamic leadership,” according to Talal Mohammad, who teaches at the University of Oxford and is the author of Iranian-Saudi Rivalry Since 1979: In the Words of Kings and Clerics (1922). “The Gaza conflict provided an opportunity for Iran to make the first move diplomatically. It allowed Tehran to overcome the ‘who visits first’ dilemma.”

“The visit was framed as an attempt for Islamic unity and solidarity with the Palestinian cause,” said Mohammad in an interview.

“It also allowed Iran to stand out among delegates [by] proposing a ten-point plan, although its suggestions weren't included in the final summit statement. Iran used the platform to advocate arming Palestinians against Israel and labelled Israel’s military as a ‘terrorist organization.’ In the current tense climate, Iran seems cautious not to upset Riyadh and is maintaining the Chinese-brokered détente by moderating its discourse and gestures toward Saudi Arabia,” Mohammed added.

Since October 7, Saudi Arabia has been central to the Islamic Republic’s diplomatic agenda, according to Hamidreza Azizi, a visiting fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs in Berlin. “During this period, Iran's Foreign Minister consistently engaged with his Arab counterparts, including the Saudi Foreign Minister,” he told RS, in pursuit of two main goals.

The first, he said, is to solidify the Iranian-Saudi détente, and the second, to persuade Riyadh to abandon any consideration of bringing the kingdom into the Abraham Accords. “Tehran has also sought to use this opportunity to assert itself as a significant and proactive regional actor capable of influencing regional dynamics in collaboration with other nations,” said Azizi.

In reality, however, there is a limit to how much success Iran has achieved on this front, underscored by the extent to which Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s calls on leaders of Muslim-majority countries to go all-in on a boycott of Israel have fallen on deaf ears. Also, certain reports, if true, suggest that Saudi Arabia is merely delaying, but not abandoning, plans for normalizing diplomatic ties with Tel Aviv as Israel’s war on Gaza rages on.

As Azizi told RS, Iran’s efforts to establish a pan-Islamic regional order based on Iranian-Arab solidarity that isolates Israel have not produced the results desired by Tehran. Nonetheless, there is no denying that the carnage in Gaza has led to increased engagement between Iranian and Saudi diplomats, as well as high-level meetings that have brought together senior officials of both countries.

Over time, this higher level of diplomacy between Tehran and Riyadh could help lead the two countries toward better understanding of the other.

SOURCE : Responsible Statecraft
 
First Iran group in nine years heads to Saudi Arabia for umrah pilgrimage

The first group of Iranian pilgrims in nine years made its way to Saudi Arabia on Monday for the umrah, or minor pilgrimage, Iran's official news agency reported, as a result of improving ties between the two Middle Eastern powers.

Iranian media had said in December that Saudi Arabia had lifted restrictions on Iranians wanting to perform umrah but flights were delayed until now due to what Tehran called "technical problems".

In March 2023, China mediated an agreement under which Iran and Saudi Arabia restored full diplomatic relations that were cut since 2016 over Riyadh's execution of a Shi'ite Muslim cleric and the subsequent storming of the Saudi embassy in Tehran.

Before ties were restored, Iranians had only been able to perform the haj pilgrimage, a religious duty deemed compulsory for Muslims who aim to carry it out once in their lifetime. The haj must be performed at a certain time of the year, and which is subject to strict annual quotas.



 
Iran ready to coop with Saudi Arabia in nuclear field

Mohammad Eslami, the chairman of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) met and held talks with the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Iran, Abdullah bin Saud Al-Anazi on the sidelines of the 1st International Conference on Nuclear Science and Technology and the 30th National Nuclear Conference in Isfahan on Monday.

What is important for Iran and Saudi Arabia is efforts to develop interactions in line with the national interests of the two countries, Eslami said.

Obtaining new technologies such as nuclear technology has had very positive results for Iran, Eslami said in this meeting, adding that of course, this issue has caused the displeasure of countries opposing the Islamic Republic of Iran and global arrogance.

Referring to the approach of Saudi Arabia in the field of developing new technologies, he said, "Saudi Arabia has taken a new approach and is looking for the development of nuclear technology, and we are ready to cooperate with the countries of the region, especially Saudi Arabia."

The ambassador of Saudi Arabia in Iran, for his part, emphasized the progress and development of interactions between the two countries.

The Saudi envoy considered Iran as a neighboring country, a friend and a brother, expressing hope to see more progress in the field of bilateral cooperation and in the field of peaceful nuclear activities.


 

Saudi Crown Prince MBS meets top Iranian diplomat in Riyadh​


Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met with the Iranian foreign minister in Riyadh on Wednesday as the region braced for a potential Israeli attack on Iran.

The top Iranian diplomat, Abbas Araghchi, had earlier met with Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan to discuss “bilateral relations and ways to enhance them in various fields” and regional developments, the Saudi Press Agency said.

Earlier on Wednesday, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said on X that Araghchi’s visit would focus on stopping “the Israeli regime’s genocide & aggression” and aimed to “alleviate the pain and suffering of our brothers and sisters in Gaza and Lebanon.”

Israel has been waging a year-long war against Hamas in Gaza that was triggered by the Palestinian militant group’s unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.

Hezbollah, based in Lebanon, began firing on northern Israel in the wake of that attack, and since last month Israel has significantly ramped up its strikes targeting Hezbollah leaders and infrastructure.

Both Hamas and Hezbollah are part of Iran’s so-called “Axis of Resistance” of militant groups in the region.

Araghchi’s visit to Saudi Arabia comes as the region awaits Israel’s response to an Iranian missile attack on its territory last week.

Baghaei said the meetings in Riyadh were “in furtherance of our diplomatic efforts, in coordination with countries of the region.”

In Beirut on Friday, Araghchi said Tehran supports efforts for a “simultaneous” ceasefire in Lebanon and the Palestinian territory.

The Islamic Republic called Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Israel “a turning point in the history of the legitimate struggle of the Palestinian people against Israel.”

Iran and Saudi Arabia resumed relations in March 2023 under a surprise China-brokered deal following a seven-year rupture.

Last month, MBS explicitly stated that the Kingdom would not normalize relations with Israel without an “independent Palestinian state.”

 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

The Bald Eagle
[PICTURES/VIDEOS] A new chapter in Pakistan and Iran relations
Replies
36
Views
972
BouncerGuy
BouncerGuy
D
How many of these Middle Eastern countries have you visited: Palestine, Israel, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, and Syria?
Replies
0
Views
107
deltexas
D
FearlessRoar
Saudi Arabia's AlBaik expected to launch in Pakistan
2
Replies
81
Views
1K
The Bald Eagle
The Bald Eagle
The Bald Eagle
Saudi Arabia prepares to open first alcohol store for diplomats
Replies
31
Views
1K
Major
Major
FearlessRoar
[PICTURES] Who are the Houthi rebels and why are they attacking Red Sea ships?
3 4 5
Replies
346
Views
9K
Cricket Warrior
C
Back
Top