First In Seven Years, Iranian Foreign Ministers And Saudi Arabia Will Meet Officially In China Tomorrow

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saudi, (Wikimedia Commons/khameneiIR/President of Gov ua)

JAKARTA - The highest diplomats Iran and Saudi Arabia are rumored to be meeting in Beijing on Thursday, an Iranian official and a Saudi newspaper said, as the two countries that have been rivals for a long time are trying to restore diplomatic relations with Chinese intermediaries.

The meeting between Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and his Iranian partner Hossein Amirabdollahian will be the first formal meeting between Saudi Arabian diplomats and Iran to be the most senior in more than seven years.

After years of hostilities that sparked conflict across the Middle East, Tehran and Riyadh agreed to end their diplomatic rift and reopen their embassy in a major deal facilitated by China last month.

"The main envoys agreed to meet on April 6 in Beijing because this deal was facilitated by China," a senior Iranian official told Reuters.

China was re-elected as the meeting venue, after being deemed to have played a positive role in reaching an agreement and facilitating communication between the two countries, the Saudi newspaper Asharq al-Awasat quoted an unknown source in Riyadh as saying.

The resumption of relations announced last month and arrangements for the ambassador swap will be discussed at the meeting, he added.

Beijing's secret role in the breakthrough between Tehran and Riyadh rocked the dynamics of the Middle East, where the United States has been the main mediator for decades, bending its security and diplomatic muscles.

"The United States' engagement era in this region has ended... Regional countries are able to maintain security and stability in the Middle East without Washington's intervention," another Iranian official said.

"Further steps will be discussed in meetings in Beijing, such as reopening embassies and appointing ambassadors," he continued.

Saudi Arabia cut ties with Iran in 2016 after its embassy in Tehran was invaded during a dispute between the two countries over the execution of Riyadh against a Shia cleric. The kingdom then asked Iranian diplomats to leave within 48 hours, while they evacuated embassy staff from Tehran.

The relationship has deteriorated since 2015, after Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates intervened in Yemen's war.

For Saudi Arabia, this deal could mean increased security. The kingdom blames Iran for arming the Houthis that carried out missile and drone attacks on its cities and oil facilities.