Cordial relations between Iran, Saudi Arabia to benefit region: Deputy FM

Majid Takht Ravanchi made the remarks in an X post after meeting his Saudi counterpart, Waleed el-Khereiji, in Riyadh on Monday.

The Iranian diplomat said that he had a “very constructive and fruitful” meeting with Khereiji, during which they discussed different issues of mutual interest, including bilateral ties as well as regional and international developments.

“Iran and Saudi Arabia are two brotherly and neighboring countries with many commonalities, and their close ties serve the interests of the entire region,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported that during the meeting, the two sides explored ways to strengthen Iran-Saudi ties in various fields and exchanged views on latest regional and international developments.

Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Tehran Abdullah bin Saud al-Anzi and his counterpart in Riyadh, Alireza Enayati, were also present at Monday’s meeting, according to the report.

Iran and Saudi Arabia resumed relations following a seven-year hiatus under a China-brokered deal in March 2023, which saw the two sides re-open diplomatic missions.

In a joint statement after signing the agreement, Tehran and Riyadh highlighted the need to respect each others’ national sovereignty and refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of one another.

They also agreed to implement a security cooperation agreement signed in April 2001 and another accord reached in May 1998 to boost economic, commercial, investment, technical, scientific, cultural, sports, and youth affairs cooperation.