Saudi Arabia’s Faisal bin Farhan and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian met in Beijing on Thursday, marking the conclusion of a rare diplomatic agreement facilitated by China last month, according to media from both countries. During the meeting, the two ministers discussed the official resumption of bilateral relations, as well as the implementation of the agreement on various levels. A group photo was taken of the ministers with the Chinese foreign minister following the meeting. The agreement between the two countries facilitated by China last month led to the end of years of hostility that fueled conflicts in the Middle East, with talks aimed at reopening embassies and consulates.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian and Saudi Arabia’s Faisal bin Farhan held a rare meeting in Beijing on Thursday, completing a surprising diplomatic agreement brokered by China last month, according to media in both countries.
In a short video clip posted on Twitter early Thursday, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir Abdullahian exchanged greetings before sitting side by side.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry later announced that during the meeting, “(the foreign ministers) negotiated and exchanged views, with a focus on the official resumption of bilateral relations and the executive steps to reopen the embassies and consulates of the two countries.”
Al-Ekhbariya said that the expanded meeting between the two ministers “included the delegations of the two countries, and they discussed the implementation of the agreement on several levels.”
Shortly following the meeting, a group photo was taken of the Saudi and Iranian ministers with the Chinese foreign minister.
After years of hostility that fueled conflicts in the Middle East, Tehran and Riyadh agreed to end their diplomatic row and reopen their embassies under a deal facilitated by China last month.
Since the Saudi-Iranian agreement, Faisal bin Farhan and his counterpart Abdullahian have spoken by phone on three occasions to discuss common issues between the two countries in light of that deal.
On March 19, an Iranian official reported that the president, Ebrahim Raisi, had accepted an invitation from King Salman to visit Saudi Arabia, information not confirmed by Riyadh.
Saudi Arabia severed relations with Iran in 2016 following storming its embassy in Tehran, amid a dispute between the two countries over the execution of a Shiite cleric in the kingdom. Riyadh then asked Iranian diplomats to leave within 48 hours and evacuated its embassy staff in Tehran.
Relations have deteriorated since 2015 following Saudi Arabia and the UAE intervened in the Yemen war, as the Houthi group, allied with Iran, forced the Saudi-backed government out of the capital, Sanaa, and took control of it.
The kingdom blamed Tehran for arming the Houthis, who carried out missile and drone attacks on its cities and oil facilities.
And in 2019, Riyadh directly blamed Iran for a major attack on Aramco oil facilities that shut down half of its oil production. Iran denied those accusations.
The meeting between the foreign ministers of Iran and Saudi Arabia in Beijing marks a significant step towards the normalization of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The diplomatic row that lasted for years fueled conflicts in the Middle East and had negative consequences for both Iran and Saudi Arabia. The agreement brokered by China in September to end the hostility and reopen the embassies is a significant achievement not only for Saudi Arabia and Iran but also for regional stability. As both countries have expressed their commitment to resuming their relationship, it is hoped that this new chapter in their relations can lead to a more peaceful and prosperous Middle East.
