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Saudi officials arrive in Iran to discuss reopening diplomatic missions

By
Reuters

April 09, 2023

This handout picture provided by the Iranian foreign ministry shows Iran´s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian (R) and Saudi Foreign Affairs Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan (L) meeting in Beijing on April 6, 2023. —AFP/file
This handout picture provided by the Iranian foreign ministry shows Iran´s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian (R) and Saudi Foreign Affairs Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan (L) meeting in Beijing on April 6, 2023. —AFP/file 

DUBAI: Saudi officials have arrived in Iran to discuss procedures for reopening Riyadh's embassy in Tehran and consulate in Mashhad after China brokered a deal to restore relations between the two regional powers, the Saudi foreign ministry said on Saturday.

After years of hostility that fueled conflicts across the Middle East, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to end their diplomatic rift and reopen their diplomatic missions in March.

Chinese President Xi Jinping helped broker the surprise deal which left the United States on the sidelines.

Saudi Arabia cut ties with Iran in 2016 after its embassy in Tehran was stormed during a dispute between the two countries over Riyadh's execution of a Shi'ite cleric.