The Iranian news agency ‘IRNA’ reported on Wednesday evening that during a visit to Riyadh, Ali Larijani discussed with Saudi officials the existing obstacles to expanding economic cooperation, as well as ways to enhance stability in the region. The Iranian official explained that defense cooperation between the two countries was also discussed, noting that an agreement was reached to pursue these efforts within organized groups to make them clearer and more structured in the future.
Regarding the change in Arab countries’ strategies, Larijani confirmed that ‘Saudi friends had a relatively clear vision about these developments from the start, and now it has become much clearer.’
It is noteworthy that Saudi Arabia and Iran announced in March 2023 their agreement to resume diplomatic relations after years of severance following the storming of the Saudi embassy in Tehran and its consulate in Mashhad by protesters in January 2016. This was in protest of the kingdom’s execution of Saudi Shia cleric Nimr Al-Nimr on charges of ‘terrorism.’
Saudi Arabia and Iran have since reopened embassies and consulates after ending the diplomatic rift, with the agreement facilitated by China, which played a significant role in its completion and was one of the signatories of the joint statement between the two countries.
