ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Saudi Arabia’s embassy in Tehran officially resumed its operations, Iran’s state media reported on Wednesday, marking the latest development in the warming up of ties between the two regional powers.
In March, a Chinese-brokered deal sealed the restoration of ties between the countries and led to the eventual return of their diplomatic missions.
The Sunni Saudi Kingdom and Shiite-led Iran severed ties seven years ago when Iranian protesters attacked Saudi diplomatic missions in retaliation for Riyadh’s execution of a prominent Shiite cleric.
"The embassy of Saudi Arabia in the Islamic Republic of Iran has officially commenced its activities,” Iran’s official news agency IRNA said, adding that the operations began on Sunday.
Saudi Arabia has not released any comment on the development.
Iranian diplomatic missions reopened in Saudi Arabia in June. Iranian media said the opening of Riyadh’s embassy had been delayed due to the poor state of the building after being damaged during the 2016 protests. Saudi Arabia reportedly rented a floor in a luxury hotel in Tehran to handle its diplomatic affairs until the repairs were completed.
Iran and Saudi Arabia have been on opposing sides in various conflicts in the Middle East, including Syria, Lebanon, and most notably Yemen. In recent months, both countries have been pushing for peace talks in Yemen between the Saudi-backed government and Iranian-backed Houthi forces.
Despite the restoration of diplomatic ties, Iran remains at odds with Saudi Arabia and Kuwait over the ownership of a disputed gas field in the Persian Gulf.
The US also continues to push for normalization of ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel, Iran’s main regional rival. Such a move could potentially harm Saudi-Iranian relations.
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