Tehran, Iran— With the restoration of diplomatic ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia, the talk in government circles in Tehran is now focused on cooperating with Riyadh on peaceful nuclear technologies.
A hint of the potential cooperation between the two former adversaries came in a tweet by a media outlet considered to be close to the Iranian security apparatus, according to Mehr News Agency.
The media outlet thought to be very close to Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) said in a tweet that the two Muslim nations of Iran and Saudi Arabia can have nuclear cooperation in the future as one of the areas they can cooperate on after their full restoration of diplomatic relations.
“In defiance of the Zionists’ opposition to the nuclearization of Saudi Arabia, in the new age of relations between Tehran and Riyadh, cooperation in the field of peaceful nuclear technologies and the transfer of Iran’s experiences and achievements to that country in compliance with international laws and under the supervision of the IAEA can be one of the main fields in their bilateral relations,” the Nournews has suggested in a post on its Twitter account in Farsi Language.
In April, Iran and Saudi Arabia normalized their diplomatic relations after seven years following talks mediated by China in Beijing a few months ago.
Iran’s embassy in Saudi Arabia’s capital city of Riyadh was reopened after seven years by the officials of the two countries on Tuesday.
Iran and Saudi Arabia took another significant step toward reconciliation, formally restoring diplomatic ties after a seven-year rift, affirming the need for regional stability and agreeing to pursue economic cooperation.
The agreement was reached in Beijing during a meeting between the Iranian and Saudi foreign ministers, a month after China had brokered an initial reconciliation agreement between the two regional powerhouses.
The latest understanding further lowers the chance of armed conflict between the rivals, both directly and in proxy conflicts around the region. It could bolster efforts by diplomats to end a long war in Yemen, a conflict in which both Iran and Saudi Arabia are deeply entrenched.
Thursday’s announcement also represents another diplomatic victory for the Chinese as Gulf Arab states perceive the United States slowly withdrawing from the wider region.