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Longtime Mideast rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia took another important step toward reconciliation Thursday, officially restoring diplomatic ties after a seven-year rift, stressing the need for regional stability and agreeing to pursue economic cooperation.
The agreement was reached in Beijing during a meeting between Iranian and Saudi foreign ministers, a month after China made a preliminary reconciliation agreement between the two regional powerhouses.
The latest understanding further reduces the possibility of armed conflict between the rivals, both directly and in proxy conflicts in the region.
It could boost diplomats’ efforts to end the long-running war in Yemen, a conflict in which Iran and Saudi Arabia have been strongly entrenched.
Thursday’s announcement also represents another diplomatic victory for China as Gulf Arab states view the United States as slowly withdrawing from more territory.
But it remains to be seen how far reconciliation efforts will progress.
Rivalry for decades
The rivalry began during the 1979 revolution that overthrew Iran’s Western-backed monarchy, and in recent years the two countries have backed armed groups and rival political factions in the region.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian announced details of the agreement Thursday in a tweet, following talks with his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.
The minister wrote that Thursday marked the beginning of “official diplomatic relations … economic and commercial cooperation, the reopening of embassies and consulates general, and an emphasis on stability, stable security and development of the region.”
Amirabdollahian said the issue was “agreed on and on the public agenda.”
Iran’s official news agency, IRNA, said that in addition to reopening embassies in the two capitals, diplomatic missions will begin operations in two other major cities – Mashhad in Iran and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.
The report said that the two sides also agreed to study the prospect of renewed flights and official and personal visits between the two countries, in addition to facilitating the visa process for their people.
China’s Foreign Ministry last month reported that both sides had agreed to reopen embassies and missions within two months.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning said the two foreign ministers signed a joint statement and expressed their determination to improve ties in line with talks in Beijing last month.
1st meeting since 2016
The state-run Saudi Press Agency carried a brief news about the meeting, saying “discussions on mutual relations and ways to improve cooperation in many fields,” with both sides aiming to “enhance the security, stability, and prosperity of the two countries and nations.” .”
Thursday’s talks in Beijing marked the first official meeting of senior diplomats from the two countries since 2016, when the kingdom severed ties with Iran after protesters attacked the Saudi diplomatic post there.
Saudi Arabia has executed a prominent Shiite cleric with 46 others, sparking protests.
The warming of relations shows that “regional countries have the will and ability to lead” in maintaining peace, Mao said in the briefing. He said China is ready to support both sides to promote good relations, urging the international community to help Middle Eastern countries resolve their differences.
The US has welcomed diplomatic progress between Saudi Arabia, which has a close but complicated alliance, and Iran, which it views as a regional threat.
But U.S. officials also expressed skepticism about whether Iran would change its behavior.
“If this dialogue leads to concrete actions by Iran to prevent destabilizing activities in the region, including the proliferation of dangerous weapons, then of course, we will welcome that,” said Vedant Patel, the principal deputy spokesperson of the US State Department.
While reopening the embassy would mark a major step forward, the degree of rapprochement could depend on peace efforts in Yemen, where Saudi Arabia has been fighting Iran-backed Houthi rebels since 2015, after the rebels seized the capital. and much of northern Yemen.
Saudi Arabia is also deeply suspicious of Iran’s nuclear program, which has advanced significantly since the US unilaterally withdrew from a 2015 deal with world powers to curb Iran’s atomic activities in exchange for sanctions relief.
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