As part of a deal brokered by China, Saudi Arabia and Iran will reopen embassies and ease travel restrictions

Beijing mediated the first reconciliation agreement in March.

Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed Thursday to reopen diplomatic missions in their respective capitals and other cities, according to Iran’s semiofficial news agency ISNA. There was no immediate official confirmation of the report.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, left, shakes hands with his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, right, and Chinese counterpart Qin Gang in Beijing on Thursday.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, left, shakes hands with his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, right, and Chinese counterpart Qin Gang in Beijing on Thursday.
As part of the reported agreement, the two parties would also investigate the possibility of resuming flights between the two countries and easing the visa process for citizens of both countries. Saudi Arabia and Iran have long been regional rivals, but have moved towards reconciliation as part of a deal brokered by China last month.

If confirmed, the agreement would mark a new step towards reconciliation after seven years of conflict. The rapprochement, which began last month, reduces the likelihood of armed conflict between the Mideast rivals, both directly and through proxy conflicts throughout the region.

Beijing mediated the first reconciliation agreement in March.

It is a significant diplomatic victory for China, as Gulf Arab states perceive the US gradually withdrawing from the wider Middle East. It also comes at a time when diplomats are attempting to end a long war in Yemen, a conflict in which both Iran and Saudi Arabia are deeply involved.

On Thursday morning, Saudi Arabia’s state-run Al-Ekhbariya TV showed Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amirabdollahian, shaking hands and sitting side by side. According to Iran’s state television, the two ministers met to discuss the specifics of reopening embassies.

It was the first formal meeting of senior diplomats from the two countries since 2016, when the kingdom severed ties with Iran after protesters stormed Saudi diplomatic posts there. Saudi Arabia had executed a prominent Shiite cleric and 46 others just days before, sparking the protests.