Iran to reopen embassy, consulate in Saudi Arabia on June 6-7

Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanani has confirmed that Iranian diplomatic facilities in Saudi Arabia will officially reopen on June 6-7.

“Iran plans to reopen its embassy in Riyadh, its consulate in Jeddah, and its permanent representative office to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation on June 6 and 7,” Iran’s Fars News Agency quoted the spokesman as saying on June 5.

Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian had a phone conversation with the acting charge d'affaires of the Iranian Embassy in Riyadh on 4 June to discuss the latest situation, and to plan the opening of the embassy in Riyadh and the consulate-general in Jeddah.

During a June 3 meeting with his Saudi counterpart, Faisal bin Farhan, on the sidelines of the BRICS foreign ministers' meeting in Cape Town, Amir-Abdollahian expressed satisfaction with the progress of bilateral relations.

He said that the ground was prepared for the opening of embassies and consulates.

Iran has appointed its new ambassador to Saudi Arabia as part of the two countries’ efforts to restore bilateral relations after seven years.

After years of hostility that fueled conflicts across the Middle East, Tehran and Riyadh agreed to end their diplomatic rift and re-open embassies in a trilateral deal facilitated by China on March 10.

The two countries emphasized “respect for sovereignty and non-interference in each other’s internal affairs” in accordance with a previous security cooperation agreement signed in April 2001. This agreement was mentioned in the trilateral statement signed between officials of Iran, Saudi Arabia and China.

In a joint statement signed by Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and his Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud in Beijing on April 6, the two countries agreed to resume flights and bilateral visits after seven years.

Saudi Arabia cut diplomatic ties with Iran in January 2016 after its embassy in Tehran and consulate in Mashhad were attacked by protesters angered by the execution of top Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr in the Sunni-majority kingdom. The kingdom then asked Iranian diplomats to leave the country within 48 hours while evacuating its embassy staff from Tehran.

Iran supports the Lebanese Hezbollah group and Yemen’s Houthi rebels, against whom Saudi Arabia has led a military campaign since March 2015. Saudi Arabia accuses Iran of arming the Houthis, who have carried out missile and drone attacks on Saudi cities and oil facilities.

Saudi Arabia blamed Iran for a 2019 missile and drone assault on its oil plants, a charge that Tehran denies. The two countries have been locked in a rivalry for decades, backing allies engaged in proxy wars across the region.