The foreign ministers of Iran and Saudi Arabia held their first official meeting in over seven years on Thursday, following a China-mediated agreement to improve relations between the regional rivals.
Last month, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to end their diplomatic rift and reopen embassies in a significant deal brokered by China, after years of hostility that fueled conflicts in the Middle East.
On Thursday, a brief clip broadcast on Iranian state television showed Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and Hossein Amirabdollahian shaking hands and then sitting side by side.
In March, Chinese President Xi Jinping mediated a surprising agreement to restore diplomatic ties and end a seven-year rift, demonstrating China’s growing influence in the region.
In March, Xi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud discussed various topics over the phone.
Iran’s semi-official ISNA news agency reported that the meeting addressed preparations for exchanging ambassadors and resuming relations announced last month.
The breakthrough between Tehran and Riyadh, facilitated by Beijing, altered the dynamics in the Middle East, where the United States had been the primary mediator for many years.
Saudi Arabia cut ties with Iran in 2016 after the storming of its embassy in Tehran during a dispute between the two countries over the execution of an Iranian Muslim cleric by Riyadh.
After evacuating its embassy staff from Tehran, the kingdom demanded that Iranian diplomats leave the country within 48 hours.
The relationship deteriorated a year before Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates intervened in the Yemeni conflict. The Iranian-backed Houthi movement overthrew a Saudi-backed government and seized control of Sanaa.
The agreement may result in increased security for Saudi Arabia. The Houthis launched missile and drone attacks on the kingdom’s cities and hydrocarbon facilities, and the kingdom has accused Iran of arming them.
In 2019, Riyadh directly blamed the Islamic Republic for an attack that crippled Aramco’s oil production by fifty percent. Tehran denied these accusations.
