Iran and Saudi Arabia are slowly trying to normalize their relations

A view of the Saudi city where three Iranian diplomats will come to serve on the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

© Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0 Gregor Rom

Text by: RFI Follow

1 min

Iran and Saudi Arabia, rival powers in the Middle East are taking small steps to try to normalize their relations after six years of ruptures.

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Tehran confirmed that three Iranian diplomats had obtained visas to travel to Saudi Arabia to serve on the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) which is based in Jeddah.

“ 

Ready 

” to open the embassy

 For now, we are focused on resuming the work of our diplomats with the OIC, but as we said we are ready to open our embassy in Saudi Arabia again 

,” the spokesperson said. of Iranian diplomacy Said Khatibzadeh.

Regional Sunni power Saudi Arabia and Shia Iran severed ties in January 2016 after Riyadh executed an influential Shia Saudi cleric who had provoked the attack and ransacking the Saudi embassy. in Tehran.

Negotiations despite their differences

Saudi Arabia

accuses Iran of interfering

in the affairs of Arab countries in the region.

The Saudi kingdom is also worried by the nuclear program, but also ballistic of Tehran.

For its part, Iran denounces the war waged by Saudi Arabia in Yemen.

Despite these differences, the two countries

held four rounds of talks

in Baghdad in an attempt to renew their relationship.

A fifth round is scheduled soon in the Iraqi capital.

To read also: Saudi Arabia: Saudi ballistic missiles manufactured with the help of China

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  • Iran

  • Saudi Arabia

  • Diplomacy