Iran
Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Nasser Kanaani speaks during a press conference in the capital Tehran on December 5, 2022. Photo: Atta Kenare/AFP
prev
next
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson on Monday said an Iranian delegation would soon visit Saudi Arabia to reopen diplomatic missions between the two countries, adding that talks were also underway with Bahrain, as a rapprochement between Tehran and the Gulf countries is expected to reshape the regional political landscape.
In his weekly presser, Nasser Kanaani confirmed that a Saudi delegation visited Tehran on Saturday and that a Saudi team would soon be dispatched to Riyadh in order to restore diplomatic ties, in line with a China-brokered deal.
A Saudi delegation arrived in Iran on Saturday to discuss the reopening of diplomatic missions, two days after a landmark meeting in between their foreign ministers in Beijing.
In a joint statement released following the meeting, both sides agreed to reopen their diplomatic missions within the next two months as well as flights between the countries. Saturday’s meeting is likely the first of several aimed at reopening the embassies in Riyadh and Tehran, as well as the consulates in Jeddah and Mashhad.
Kanaani stated that an Iranian delegation had also been sent to the Bahraini capital of Manama for talks, without elaborating on further details. Last month, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian had expressed Tehran’s hopes to works towards normalizing ties with Bahrain.
Bahrain cut ties with Iran in 2016, in solidarity with Saudi Arabia after its embassy in Tehran was attacked. Riyadh severed diplomatic relations with Tehran in the wake of the attack. The Sunni monarchy in Manama has also long accused Iran of stirring revolts by the Shiite-majority population.
The UAE also sided with Saudi Arabia seven years ago, cutting ties with Iran as a show of support with the Kingdom. Kanaani said that UAE-Iran ties “are moving forward” particularly after Tehran last week named its first ambassador to Abu Dhabi since the fallout.
Both Saudi Arabia and Iran have supported opposing forces in several conflict zones across the region, most notably in Yemen, where Iran backs the Houthi rebels while Saudi Arabia leads a military coalition supporting the government. Both Riyadh and Tehran have also sought to create their own spheres of influence in Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq.
The recent normalization of ties has been welcomed by analysts as a step forward to resolving the war in Yemen. Citing a Yemeni government source, AFP reported that on Saturday, the Saudis and Houthis agreed to a six-month truce. Kanaani added that Iran hopes a “sustainable ceasefire” could be implements in war-torn Yemen “thanks to the new circumstances in the region.”
Comments
Rudaw moderates all comments submitted on our website. We welcome comments which are relevant to the article and encourage further discussion about the issues that matter to you. We also welcome constructive criticism about Rudaw.
To be approved for publication, however, your comments must meet our community guidelines.
We will not tolerate the following: profanity, threats, personal attacks, vulgarity, abuse (such as sexism, racism, homophobia or xenophobia), or commercial or personal promotion.
Comments that do not meet our guidelines will be rejected. Comments are not edited – they are either approved or rejected.
Post a comment