Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah received a phone call from his Iranian counterpart Hussein Amir-Abdollahian, during which they discussed a number of issues of common interest between the two countries.
The two sides discussed the next steps in light of what was recently agreed upon.
China recently brokered the restoration of ties in March between Iran and Saudi Arabia – rivals in a region where the United States for decades has been the main diplomatic powerbroker.
The two Middle East powerhouses had held several rounds of dialogue in Iraq and Oman before reaching the agreement to mend ties on March 10 in China.
Since then there has been increasing engagement between the two countries. Iranian president has already received an invitation to visit the Sunni-ruled kingdom. This was followed by Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said President Ebrahim Raisi inviting the Saudi King to visit Iran.
Saudi Arabia had severed relations with Iran in 2016, after its embassy in Tehran and consulate in the northwestern city of Mashhad were attacked during protests over Riyadh’s execution of Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr.