Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed on Friday to re-establish relations after seven years of hostility that threatened Gulf stability and security and fueled conflicts from Yemen to Syria.
The agreement was announced after four days of previously undisclosed talks between top security officials from the two rival Middle Eastern powers in Beijing.
According to a joint statement issued by Iran, Saudi Arabia, and China, Tehran, and Riyadh agreed to resume diplomatic relations and reopen embassies within two months. “The agreement includes their affirmation of state sovereignty and non-interference in internal affairs,” it said.
Saudi Arabia has blamed Iran in recent years for missile and drone attacks on the kingdom’s oil facilities in 2019, as well as attacks on tankers in Gulf waters. Iran has denied the allegations.
Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement has also carried out cross-border missile and drone attacks into Saudi Arabia, which leads a coalition fighting the Houthis, and plans to extend the strikes to the United Arab Emirates in 2022.
The agreement signed on Friday by Iran’s top security official, Ali Shamkhani, and Saudi Arabia’s national security adviser, Musaed bin Mohammed Al-Aiban, agreed to reactivate a 2001 security cooperation agreement as well as an earlier trade, economy, and investment pact.
Wang Yi, China’s top diplomat, called the agreement a “victory for dialogue and peace,” adding that Beijing would continue to play a constructive role in addressing difficult global issues.
According to a White House national security spokesperson, the US was aware of the agreement and welcomed any efforts to help end the war in Yemen and de-escalate tensions in the Middle East.
Long-standing strategic ties between Saudi Arabia and the US have been strained during President Joe Biden’s administration due to the kingdom’s human rights record, the Yemen war, and, more recently, ties with Russia and OPEC+ oil production.
In contrast, Saudi Arabia’s growing ties with China were highlighted by President Xi Jinping’s high-profile visit three months ago.
“MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION”
Iran and Saudi Arabia, the Middle East’s two leading Shi’ite and Sunni Muslim powers, have been at odds for years, supporting opposing sides in proxy wars ranging from Yemen to Syria.
Saudi Arabia severed ties with Iran in 2016 following the storming of its embassy in Tehran during a dispute between the two countries over Riyadh’s execution of a Shi’ite Muslim cleric.
Normalizing relations offered great opportunities for both countries and the Middle East, according to Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, who hinted at additional steps.
“As the key axis of the Iranian government’s foreign policy, the neighborhood policy is strongly moving in the right direction, and the diplomatic apparatus is actively supporting the preparation of more regional steps,” Amirabdollahian tweeted.
According to a senior Iranian official, resolving tensions with Saudi Arabia has become a top priority for Tehran in recent months, and it will help resolve long-running talks on Iran’s nuclear program.
“It will encourage the West to reach a nuclear deal with Iran,” a senior official said.
In their efforts to resurrect a 2015 nuclear agreement with Tehran, Saudi Arabia, and its allies have long pressed global powers to address their concerns about Iran’s missile and drone programs.
Cinzia Bianco, the research fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said Riyadh had been seeking security guarantees from Iran, which the reactivation of the 2001 security agreement may have addressed.
Iran may have also responded positively to Riyadh’s calls for it to “actively push the Houthis to sign a peace agreement with Saudi Arabia that frees the Saudis from the Yemen war, which has turned into a quagmire,” according to Bianco.
“If those two (issues) are addressed, I am confident and optimistic about the transaction.”
In January, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud stated that efforts were being made to end the Yemen conflict.
In response to Friday’s announcement, Oman Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said on Twitter that the resumption of Saudi-Iranian diplomatic relations was a “win-win for everyone” and would benefit regional and global security.
In 2021 and 2022, Oman and Iraq hosted talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia.