Iran and Saudi Arabia agree to restore ties

OAN Roy Francis
UPDATED 10:27 AM – Friday, March 10, 2023

After years of hostilities which have led to multiple conflicts and threatened stability in the Gulf region, Iran and Saudi Arabia have reached an agreement to re-establish their relations.

After four days of negotiations in Beijing, the deal was finally reached after top officials representing both Middle East countries signed it.

According to China, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Saudi Arabia, they have reached an agreement to cooperate. “resume diplomatic relations” Within two months, reopen embassies.

After a Shi’ite Muslim Clergy was executed by Saudi Arabia, relations between the two countries had been strained. The execution led the to a dispute between them and to the storming of their embassy in Tehran in 2016.

Saudi Arabia has placed Iran under suspicion for numerous drone and missile attacks on Iranian oil facilities, as well as tanker strikes in the Gulf water.

Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi group was also involved in the conflict. The Houthi Movement had launched missile and drone strikes into Saudi Arabia, and then extended those attacks to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2022.

The agreement will bring back a 2001 security cooperation agreement and an earlier trade economy, investment and trade pact. The deal was signed by Iran’s top security officer and Saudi Arabia’s security advisor.

Although the White House claimed that Saudi Arabia was keeping them informed about Chinese negotiations, they weren’t directly involved. President Joe Biden has caused tensions in the long-standing strategic relations between the United States of America and Saudi Arabia.

The relationship between China, Saudi Arabia and the Middle East has been strengthening, as evidenced by President Xi Jinping’s December visit to the country.

Experts stated that both sides would benefit from a de-escalation at this stage. Saudi Arabia’s primary focus is on its economic development, while Iran seeks out to undermine the U.S. efforts in the region to isolate it. Gulf states including Oman, Qatar, and UAE all welcome the announcement of the restoration of ties between these two nations.

Hossein Amirabdollahian was the Iranian Foreign Minister. “regional steps” to be taken and that their policy has moved in the right direction.

“The neighbourhood policy, as the key axis of the Iranian government’s foreign policy, is strongly moving in the right direction and the diplomatic apparatus is actively behind the preparation of more regional steps,” Amirabdollahian stated on Twitter.

According to Reuters, a senior Iranian official stated that addressing tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia was a top priority. This would resolve disputes around Iran’s nuclear program and, hopefully, also help to create a new one. “encourage the West to reach a nuclear agreement with Iran.”

According to reports, Riyadh was seeking security guarantees from Iran regarding its missile program. The reactivation of the 2001 Security Agreement may have resolved that issue.