Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amirabdollahian, have agreed to meet soon and pave the way for the re-opening of embassies under a deal to re-establish ties.
Earlier this month, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to revive relations after years of discord that had threatened stability and security in the Gulf and helped fuel conflicts in the Middle East. The ministers spoke by phone to mark the occasion of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, said Saudi state news agency SPA. Amirabdollahian stressed during the call Iran’s keenness to boost relations with Saudi Arabia, reported Iran’s official news agency IRNA.
Analysts say both sides stand to benefit from de-escalation, as Iran seeks to undercut US efforts to isolate the country in the region, and Saudi Arabia tries to focus on economic development. After Iran, Saudi Arabia plans to re-establish ties with Syria, say media reports. Syria and Saudi Arabia have agreed to reopen their embassies after cutting diplomatic ties more than a decade ago, three sources with knowledge of the matter said, a step that would mark a leap forward in Damascus’s return to the Arab group.
