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News > Iran

Iran: Ready to Restore Diplomatic Ties With Saudi Arabia

  • Iran state-affiliated media #Iran's ambassador to Iraq I.Masjidi:

    Iran state-affiliated media #Iran's ambassador to Iraq I.Masjidi: "Baghdad has hosted four rounds of talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia, and will soon host a fifth round. | Photo: Twitter @iranpress_news

Published 6 January 2022
Opinion

Saudi Arabia cut ties with Iran after the latter failed to protect the Saudi embassy in Tehran from an angry mob in 2016. The Iranians attacked the diplomatic building after Riyadh executed a prominent Shia cleric for alleged meddling in the kingdom's domestic affairs.

Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, speaking to Al Jazeera TV, indicated that Tehran is ready to restore diplomatic ties with Saudi Arabia at any moment. He described the ongoing dialogue between the two nations as "positive and constructive."

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The diplomat further stressed the importance of a broad dialogue between regional powers, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey, to resolve the region's problems. Amirabdollahian added that Iran would be returning to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in the nearest future.

Saudi Arabia cut its diplomatic ties to Iran in January 2016 after a group of angry protesters attacked and eventually ransacked its embassy in Tehran. The assault on the embassy happened in the wake of the kingdom's decision to execute prominent Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr earlier the same month for his purported meddling in Saudi affairs.

Riyadh accused Tehran of failing to protect its diplomatic property and withdrew its diplomatic mission adequately. Iran has been trying to repair ties in the last few years, and the two states reportedly held negotiations on the matter. 

However, one of Tehran's attempts at mending relations was thwarted by the U.S. in 2020 – its drones killed prominent Iranian general Qassem Soleimani after he arrived in Iraq with a mission to pass Iran's proposal to Saudi Arabia via the government in Baghdad.

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