Iran’s Foreign Ministry on Monday in a statement announced that Tehran will reopen its embassy and consulate in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, after a seven-year closure.
Following China’s mediation between Iran and Saudi Arabia in March, the two neighboring countries in the Middle East agreed to reconcile and resume diplomatic relations.
Nasser Kanani, the spokesperson of Iran’s foreign ministry confirmed that Tehran is set to reopen its embassy in Riyadh today.
He further added that Iran’s consulate in Jeddah and its representative office of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) will be officially reopened on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The diplomatic source said Iran already appointed Alireza Enayati as the Islamic Republic’s envoy to Saudi Arabia last month, whereas, the Saudi Kingdom is yet to confirm reopening its diplomatic mission in Tehran and send its envoy respectively.
Previously, Alireza Enayati served as Iran’s ambassador to Kuwait. He also had worked as the assistant to the foreign minister and director general of Gulf affairs at the foreign ministry, according to Iranian reports.
In 2016, Iran’s relation soured with Saudi Arabia after the execution of a prominent Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr, which sparked massive protests in Tehran and other major cities of Iran, leading to attacks on the Saudi embassy in Tehran and consulate in Mashhad.
After years of discord, the two Middle East heavyweights signed a surprise reconciliation agreement in China on March 10.
Iran and Saudi Arabia are two arch-rivals in the Middle East often opposing each other in regional matters, particularly in conflict zones in the region. Iran-backed Huthi rebels have been fighting against a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia for years before restoring political ties.
