Saudi Arabia and Iran are set to reopen their embassies in each other’s capitals within days, according to Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. This development indicates a warming of relations between the two nations, which closed their respective missions seven years ago.
Amir-Abdollahian spoke at a news conference in Beirut, Lebanon, on Friday, without providing specific dates for the embassy reopenings. The two countries agreed in China last month to reestablish diplomatic relations and reopen embassies after years of heightened tensions.
The Iranian Foreign Minister stated, “During the last phone call between the foreign ministers of Iran and Saudi Arabia on Eid al-Fitr, we agreed to work in the next coming days on the reopening of the Iranian and Saudi embassies in Tehran and Riyadh.” This quote is based on an official Arabic translation.
The relationship between Saudi Arabia and Iran began to deteriorate in 2015, following Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates’ intervention in the Yemen war. This intervention occurred after the Iran-aligned Houthi movement toppled the Riyadh-backed government and took control of the Yemeni capital, Sanaa.
The tensions between the two nations have contributed to conflicts throughout the region, including the Syrian civil war.
Amir-Abdollahian concluded his visit to Lebanon, where he met with Lebanese officials, including Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. He also confirmed that Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi would visit Syria in the near future, without providing further details.
This visit will mark the first by an Iranian president to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad since the Syrian civil war began in 2011. With military and economic support from Iran and Russia, Assad managed to regain control over most of his country, turning the tide of the conflict.
