Iran's embassy in Riyadh resumes after 7-year stalemate

The Iranian embassy in Saudi Arabia was reopened on June 6 at a ceremony attended by Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Consular, Parliamentary and Expatriate Affairs Alireza Bigdeli.

On June 5, the Iranian foreign ministry announced that the Riyadh embassy, the consulate-general in Jeddah, and the Iranian mission to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) would be officially reopened on June 6 and 7.

Joined by Ali Al-Youssef, the director of Consular Affairs at the Saudi foreign ministry, Bigdeli hailed the occasion as “an important day” in the relations between the Islamic Republic and the Kingdom. He further added that “the cooperation between the two countries is entering a new era.” Meanwhile, Amwaj.media has learned, Saudi officials have begun operations in Tehran—but not from the Kingdom’s mission in the Iranian capital.

The reopening of the Iranian embassy in Riyadh marks an important shift in the bilateral relationship. The Kingdom cut ties in 2016 after Iranian protesters ransacked its diplomatic facilities over the execution of a Saudi Shiite dissident cleric. Yet there are indications that—at the very least—logistical issues are impeding the speed of the rapprochement.

The deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to resume ties, announced on Mar. 10 after five days of secret talks in China, outlined a two-month deadline for the reopening of embassies. While the accord made sweeping references to principles such as non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries and referred to the activation of bilateral accords signed in 1998 and 2001, the only clear metric was the deadline for the reopening of diplomatic missions. That deadline passed almost a month ago.