According to a joint statement issued by Iran, Saudi Arabia, and China on Friday, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to re-establish relations after a seven-year diplomatic stalemate.
Since the suspension of relations in 2016, the following dates have been significant in Saudi-Iranian relations:
Saudi Arabia executes nearly 50 people on January 2, 2016, including prominent Shi’ite cleric Nimr al-Nimr. Protesters storm the Saudi embassy in Tehran, and Shia Iran’s top leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, vows “divine vengeance” for Nimr’s death.
Saudi Arabia severed ties with Iran on January 3, 2016.
Iran accuses Saudi Arabia of airstrikes on its embassy in Yemen on January 7, 2016. Officials in Saudi Arabia dismiss the claim as propaganda.
May 29, 2016: Iran prohibits its pilgrims from participating in the annual Muslim haj pilgrimage, blaming Saudi Arabia for “sabotage” and failing to ensure pilgrim safety.
Saudi Arabia blames Iran for attacks on its oil installations that cut off half of the kingdom’s supply on September 14, 2019. Iran denies involvement, but Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi group claims responsibility.
Qassem Soleimani, the Iranian military commander, is killed in a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad on January 3, 2020.
Iran and Saudi Arabia hold their first direct talks since the rupture on April 9, 2021, in Baghdad. Four rounds of talks are scheduled between April and September 2022, with the majority of them mediated by Iraq and Oman.
March 13, 2022: Iran withdraws from talks without giving a reason, a day after mass executions in Saudi Arabia that activists said included 41 Shi’ite Muslims.
Iran and Saudi Arabia hold a fifth round of talks on April 21, 2022.
Oct. 19, 2022: The top adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, has called for the reopening of Saudi and Iranian embassies.
Chinese President Xi Jinping visits Saudi Arabia on December 9, 2022, and meets with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi visits China to meet with Xi on February 16, 2023.
