‘Diplomatic relations will be resumed between Saudi Arabia and Iran soon,’ says report 

Saudi Arabia may send a representative to participate in the swearing-in ceremony for Iran’s President-elect Ebrahim Raisi, Iranian newspaper Etemad reported.

The newspaper quoted an informed source on Friday stating: “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia may send a representative to participate in the inauguration ceremony for the elected president, Ebrahim Raisi, and diplomatic relations between the two countries will resume after that.”

The source confirmed that the Iranian and Saudi embassies would be reopened in both countries in the near future.

Iranian government spokesperson Ali Rabii announced in his weekly press conference: “We are committed to continuing consultations to resolve all differences between Tehran and Riyadh, and if there is a need to raise the level of dialogue and we manage to reach an agreement, then we have no restrictions in this regard.”

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He asserted: “We have always welcomed dialogue to achieve positive results, and we look forward to engaging in positive negotiations with Saudi Arabia.”

Rabii continued: “Bilateral talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia continue through diplomatic channels,” stressing that regional negotiations are a permanent necessity, and that Tehran has always emphasised regional dialogue and discussion between the countries of the region.

Relations between Riyadh and Tehran have witnessed a rupture since the beginning of 2016, following the storming of the kingdom’s embassy in Tehran, during protests against the execution of prominent Shia cleric, Nimr Al-Nimr, and other detainees in Saudi Arabia.

Disagreements continued between the two countries over the war in Yemen, as Saudi Arabia accused Iran of supporting terrorism and threatening ships in the Gulf area.

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