On Thursday, the Foreign Ministers of Saudi Arabia and Iran met in Beijing to discuss the details of resuming their bilateral relations, following a recent agreement mediated by China. The meeting marked the highest-level engagement between the two sides in over seven years. According to Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Iran’s Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and Saudi Arabia’s Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud signed an agreement to reopen embassies and consulates in each other's countries. Both countries also agreed to explore avenues for expanding their cooperation, such as resuming flights, official and private sector visits, and simplifying visa procedures.
The joint statement, released by Iran, stated that the two sides expressed their willingness to remove all obstacles that hinder the expansion of their cooperation. The embassies would be located in Riyadh and Tehran, while the consulates would be established in Jeddah and Mashhad. Saudi state media released a video showing the two ministers shaking hands and posing for photographs, with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang standing between them and encouraging the move.
The resumption of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran is considered a diplomatic success for China in a region that has long been under the influence of the United States. China's top diplomat, Wang Yi, hailed the agreement as a "victory for dialogue and peace," and positioned it as part of China's efforts to facilitate the resolution of global hot-spot issues. In 2016, Saudi Arabia cut off diplomatic ties with Iran after Iranian protesters attacked the Saudi embassy in Tehran, following the execution of a Shi'ite cleric in Saudi Arabia. Since then, the two countries have engaged in a proxy war that has engulfed several neighboring nations, bringing the region to the brink of conflict.
They have also backed opposing sides in the Yemeni civil war, described by the United Nations as one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. However, Saudi Arabia has been in direct talks with the Iran-aligned Houthi movement, and an unofficial ceasefire appears to be holding. The joint statement released on Thursday did not mention the Yemen conflict, but committed to expanding cooperation in any field that promotes regional security, stability, and the interests of the nations involved.