According to the Saudi Arabian foreign affairs ministry, the Saudi and Iranian foreign ministers spoke by phone to commemorate the start of Ramadan and decided to meet “soon” to begin the process of reopening embassies and consulates.
The holy month of Ramadan, which starts on Thursday in both nations, was discussed during a phone discussion between the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and Iran, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, according to the foreign ministry.
To facilitate the reopening of embassies and consulates between the two nations, the two ministers decided to meet privately soon, according to a tweet from the Saudi Arabian foreign ministry.
Following the unexpected Chinese-mediated rapprochement announced on March 10, which is anticipated to see diplomatic ties restored seven years after they were cut, the scheduled ministerial meeting is reported to be the next step in the normalisation of relations between the two countries.
After Iranian demonstrators attacked Saudi diplomatic posts there in 2016 after Saudi Arabia executed a famous Shia Muslim scholar, Riyadh severed ties with Tehran, just one of several flashpoints between the two longtime enemies in the area.
The mostly Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia and the Shia-majority Iran are anticipated to restore their embassies and posts within two months of the Chinese-brokered accord, and to put into effect security and economic cooperation agreements that were signed more than 20 years ago.
Notwithstanding Riyadh’s lack of confirmation, an Iranian official claimed on Sunday that King Salman had extended a warm invitation to visit Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi. The same day, Amir-Abdollahian informed reporters that three potential places had been identified for the meeting between the top officials of the two nations, but he did not name any of them.
A area that has experienced volatility for decades may see its connections with Saudi Arabia and Iran change as a result of their recent detente.
