Tehran-Riyadh diplomatic ties can be restored

Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said that diplomatic ties between Tehran and Riyadh can be restored through dialogue

Tehran, The Gulf Observer: Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian has expressed hope that diplomatic ties between Tehran and Riyadh can be restored through dialogue between the two regional arch-rivals.

Saudi Arabia cut ties with Iran in January 2016, after its embassy in Tehran and consulate in second city Mashhad were attacked by protesters following Riyadh’s execution of Shia cleric Nimr Al Nimr. 

Speaking on a visit to Lebanon, Amir Abdollahian said he hoped “diplomatic missions or embassies in Tehran and Riyadh will reopen within the framework of dialogue that should continue between the two countries”. 

Iran and Saudi Arabia back opposing sides in various conflicts in the region, including in Syria.

Since April 2021, Iraq has hosted a series of fence-mending meetings between the two sides, but the talks have stalled in recent months, and no meetings have been publicly announced since April 2022.