Iranian foreign minister to meet Saudi counterpart soon
-
Salma Hossein
- . March 20, 2023
- . Update: March 20, 2023 9:08 pm
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian is expected to meet his Saudi Arabian counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan “in the near future”, he revealed on Sunday, adding three locations have been proposed for the discussions.
It comes just days after the two countries struck a landmark agreement in the Chinese capital of Beijing on Friday. The deal will see the re-establishment of diplomatic ties and the reopening of embassies within a couple of months.
Saudi Arabia severed diplomatic relations with Iran in January 2016 following scores of furious Iranian protesters storming its embassy in Tehran. The people were enraged over the controversial execution of top Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr Baqir al-Nimr by the Saudi government.
Read | Security officers from Iran and Iraq sign a border protection pact
As part of the notable agreement with Riyadh, Tehran has agreed to stop supplying its Houthi allies in Yemen weapons, WSJ cited US and Saudi officials as saying. Although Tehran has frequently denied allegations of sending weapons to the militant group, UN inspectors have often traced seized weapons shipments back to Iran.
Since an UN-sponsored ceasefire took effect last April, fighting in war-torn Yemen has largely been halted, even after the truce agreement expired in October.
Moreover, the latest move from Tehran following the Chinese-brokered pact could accelerate new efforts to achieve peace in Yemen, as it could impose noteworthy pressure on the Houthis to reach a deal to put a full-stop to the brutal conflict.
Riyadh expects Tehran to respect a UN arms embargo meant to stop the transport of weapons to the group in Yemen, the WSJ report quoted a Saudi official.
The rapprochement gestures from the two countries have widely been welcomed by the international community.
